By BETHEENA KAE UNITE
Sixteen polio cases have been recorded by the Department of Health.
Four new cases were confirmed by the DoH Thursday, more than three months after a polio outbreak was declared in the country, to bring the total number of cases to 16.
The disease, according to the Research Institute of Tropical Medicine in Muntinlupa City, was found in two- and three-year-old boys in Maguindanao, a two-year-old boy in Sultan Kudarat, and a three-year old boy in Quezon City.
Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said they manifested fever, diarrhea, muscle pain, asymmetric ascending paralysis, and weakness of extremities.
The four new cases were reported after the Health department announced the extension of the synchronized oral polio vaccination in Metro Manila and all regions of Mindanao from January to April.
“The outbreak must be put to a halt, and we can only do this if all our health facilities are achieving the targets for all AFP (Acute Flaccid Paralysis) surveillance indicators, and if every SPKP (‘Sabayang Patak Kontra Polio’) round, all of the target population are reached and vaccinated,” Duque said.
The Health secretary urged anew all parents and caregivers of children under five-years-old to take part in the SPKP campaign rounds scheduled in their areas.