The Philippines is number one in a lot of things. It is number one in online child sex trafficking. It is number one in social media users. It is number one in the amount of time spent on Pornhub. And now the Philippines is number one in cholera cases for the Western Pacific region.
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| https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/nation/897390/philippines-only-country-in-western-pacific-with-cholera-in-2023-who/story/ |
The Philippines is one of only 30 countries that reported cholera or acute water diseases (AWD) cases in 2023, according to data from the World Health Organization (WHO).
The 2023 WHO Global Cholera and AWD Dashboard records 708,200 cholera cases worldwide, including in nine countries where at least 10,000 cases were monitored.
More than 4,300 deaths were also reported.
"While data from 2023 cannot be directly compared to the more detailed official reports submitted to WHO for 2022—when there were 472,697 cases and 2349 deaths—the marked increase in preliminary figures for 2023 suggests a concerning escalation in global cases and deaths associated with cholera," the WHO said in its report.
The Philippines is the only country in the Western Pacific Region to have a cholera outbreak last year.
Latest data from the Department of Health (DOH) shows 3,756 cholera cases reported last year, including 19 deaths.
According to the WHO, cholera is an “extremely virulent” disease that can cause severe acute watery diarrhea due to ingestion of food or water contaminated with the bacterium Vibrio cholerae.
This infection affects both children and adults and can kill within hours if untreated.
Being one out of only 30 countries to report a cholera outbreak puts the Philippines in an exclusive class. Here is a map showing the other 29 countries which reported a cholera outbreak in 2023.
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| https://www.who.int/publications/m/item/multi-country-outbreak-of-cholera--external-situation-report--11---12-february-2024 |
The DOH says there was 3,756 cases and 19 deaths in 2023. But why does cholera continue to plague the Philippines? Because of the lack of access to clean water.
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| https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1211483 |
The Department of Health (DOH) regional office in Eastern Visayas has reported 3,683 cholera cases with nine deaths from January to September this year, slightly higher at 4 percent than the 3,556 cases recorded in the same period in 2022.
Of the total cases, 2,996 were treated in hospitals, and the rest recovered through home treatment, DOH regional information officer Jelyn Lopez-Malibago said in a phone interview Tuesday.
Of the nine deaths, Eastern Samar and Samar provinces recorded three each, Leyte had two, and Northern Samar had one. Most patients who died of cholera were children.
The youngest fatality was a seven-month-old boy, while the oldest was a 93-year-old woman. The latest death was recorded on July 13.
The DOH report said 1,390 cases were in communities that lack access to safe drinking water in Eastern Samar.
Malibago said the DOH has intensified its information drive to prevent the spread of cholera.
They also strengthened their technical assistance to local government units to end the outbreak in some areas, she said.
“To prevent the possible surge of these diseases, especially during the rainy season, the Department of Health recommends the practice of good personal hygiene. Wash hands thoroughly with soap and water before preparing or eating food, after using the toilet, after clean-up activities, and handling particles coming from public places and after attending to a sick person,” Malibago added.
The DOH urged the public to clean all utensils, equipment, and surfaces before and after cooking; thoroughly wash and cook all meat, seafood, and vegetables; eat properly prepared food; and eat food while it is still hot.
Drinking water from known sources, boiled or treated with chlorine is highly recommended.
“By undertaking these tasks, we will be able to attain better health outcomes in Eastern Visayas and reduce the number of food and water-borne diseases cases and deaths,” Malibago said.
While the people do bear a responsibility for their health and well-being it is the government's mandate to provide the people with clean water and proper sewage systems. Much of the pollute water people are using is fouled by human waste.
The fact that the Philippines made this exclusive list is a testament to the dysfunctionality and ineptness of the government. Let us congratulate the corrupt politicians who run this nation for this accomplishment.
