PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Palawan (PIA) — The Department of Health (DOH) executes an elimination plan in different towns in Palawan to eradicate malaria cases in the province by 2026.
Dr. Mario S. Baquilod, Regional Director of the Department of Health-Center for Health Development (DOH-CHD) MIMAROPA during the Kapihan sa Bagong Pilipinas on July 2, said that Palawan is the lone province in the country that still has active cases of malaria. If cases are eradicated by 2026, the Philippines can be declared a malaria-free country by the World Health Organization in 2030.
The plan, dubbed Palawan Malaria Accelerated Elimination and Sustainability Plan (PMAESP), was conceptualized by the joint efforts of the World Health Organization (WHO), DOH-CHD MIMAROPA, Palawan Provincial Health Office (PHO), and Pilipinas Shell Foundation, Inc. (PSFI).
“We have finalized that acceleration plan and nag-craft na rin kami ng training plan para sa elimination, which we did last month. Nagkaroon na ng orientation, training about this. Ongoing implementation, and hopefully, we will be meeting with the government to personally turnover the plan,” Baquilod said.
The PMAESP should be implemented by the local government unit and will be supported by DOH-CHD MIMAROPA and WHO, he said. Various sectors and agencies were also consulted during the crafting of the plan for a collaborative approach to the elimination of the cases in Palawan.
In May, DOH shared that Palawan has 1,000 active cases to date. The most vulnerable sector is the indigenous communities, with around 99 percent being tested positive for malaria, particularly in the southern portion of the province.
Vector Borne Disease Manager Oscar Macam, Jr. said that DOH MIMAROPA is just waiting for the availability of DOH Secretary Teodoro Herbosa and Palawan Governor Dennis Socrates for the turnover of the PMAESP.
“Habang hinihintay ang turnover, ongoing ang implementation na inilatag ng mga LGU kung ano ang mga plano maging zero ang Palawan by 2026,” he said.
DOH also boosts health information for communities to take part in the implementation of the plan, Baquilod added. (RG/PIA MIMAROPA-Palawan)
