ORMOC, LEYTE – To aid in the screening of cholera in the region, the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) National Reference Laboratory for Bacteria Enteric Diseases (NRL-BED) capacitated 51 participants from the Department of Health (DOH) Eastern Visayas on the use of Vibrio cholerae rapid diagnostic test (VC RDT) kits last October 18-20, 2022.   

The training was conducted for three batches. Through the training, participants are now able to detect cholera with the use of VC RDT kits, which can be useful for outbreak investigations and for the implementation of relevant health interventions. The VC RDT kits were donated by the World Health Organization (WHO).

Ms. Rhelean Arvie Cube led the lectures together with Ana Patricia Luis, Queency Reyes, Prince Ninja Bautista, and RITM Surveillance and Response Unit’s. Angelyn Paraon.

The training was in close coordination with Dr. Ludina Insigne and Ms. Analiza Balila of the DOH Eastern Visayas Food and Waterborne Disease-Prevention Control Program (FWBD-PCP).

As part of its mandate to provide technical support on laboratory diagnosis of food and waterborne disease outbreaks in the country, NRL-BED has been conducting the VC RDT training since 2018. But during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, NRL-BED transitioned the training to an online set-up.

To date, a total of eight (8) online VC RDT trainings have already been conducted for various regions in the country which include Central Visayas, CARAGA, and Northern Mindanao to name a few. NRL-BED is expected to train CALABARZON and Ilocos regions in November 2022.

by Ricaflor L. Banhaw, RMT