MARAWI CITY, Lanao del Sur (PIA) -- The Integrated Provincial Health Office (IPHO) emphasized the necessity of a whole-of-society approach to containing the measles outbreak in Lanao del Sur. 

IPHO Chief Dr. Alinader Minalang made the call during an emergency meeting with the Provincial and Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction Management (DRRM) Officers for measles outbreak response at the Provincial Capitol Conference here on March 20.

"Although it is a health issue, to deliver services like vaccination, we need to help health workers," he said.

Minalang said the assistance could be in the form of mobilization, especially for hard-to-reach areas due to security and transportation issues.

He highlighted the urgency of simultaneous vaccination efforts due to the outbreak, noting that under normal circumstances, health workers could handle vaccination by scheduling visits to barangays or individuals visiting RHUs.

IPHO is currently ramping up its response efforts through an intensified vaccination campaign at the barangay level. The house-to-house vaccination commenced on March 19, aiming to reach all children until March 29.

"We have to contain the virus within 10 days. In those 10 days, we need to reach all those target children. We call it non-selective vaccination or outbreak-response immunization. It means that all children aged six months up to five years old will be vaccinated," the IPHO chief said.

Provincial DRRM Office head Shaminoden Sambitory echoed the same call, emphasizing the need for proactive measures at the municipal level. "First and foremost, at the municipal level, we should convene the local health board to discuss this outbreak and how we eradicate it," he stated.

He further highlighted the significance of activating Emergency Operations Centers as a platform for coordinated planning and management of the outbreak.

Sambitory underscored that even a single case of measles within a community constitutes an outbreak. While the PDRRMO primarily addresses natural and human-induced hazards or disasters, health emergencies such as outbreaks or epidemics fall within the purview of the PDRRMO's mandate.

According to the latest report from IPHO, the cumulative measles cases in the province from 2023 up to March 19 have reached 1,181, with Marawi City accounting for 551 cases. A total of 13 of these cases have resulted in deaths. 

According to the Ministry of Health's report, Lanao del Sur registered 220 cases between January 1 and March 20, followed by Maguindanao del Norte with 163 cases and Marawi City with 80 cases. (APB/PIA-10/Lanao del Sur)