Outbreaks of Zika virus (ZIKV) disease have been recorded in Africa, the Americas, Asia, and the Pacific. The recent cluster of microcephaly cases and reports of neurological disorders in Brazil, following a similar cluster in French Polynesia in 2014, prompted the World Health Organization to declare Zika Virus Disease a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.

In the Philippines, 17 confirmed cases of ZIKV were documented in 2016 after the index case was identified in Iloilo on September 2, 2016. These cases did not have history of travel to an affected country a month prior to the onset of their illness. Due to this event, the Department of Health (DOH) issued a Department Memorandum No. 2016-0116 on February 22, 2016 providing technical guidelines, standards, and other Instructions for Reference in the Implementation of ZIKV Disease Surveillance amended on July 11, 2016 as Department Memorandum 0116-A. Also, DOH has been working on its advocacy to strengthen the 4S strategy against further Zika virus transmission in the country and in establishing clinical management guidelines.

The Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) in collaboration with the Disease Prevention and Control Bureau (DPCB), Epidemiology Bureau (EB), Health Promotion and Communication Services (HPCS) conducted a National Summit on Zika Virus Disease (ZIKV) with the theme “One Philippines Against Zika”, on October 28, 2016, 9AM, at the Forbes Ballroom 2 & 3 of the Conrad Hotel Manila, Mall of Asia Complex, Pasay City.

Representatives from DOH Regional Offices, government and private hospitals, Local Government Units, academe, allied professional societies, partner agencies and other concerned stakeholders, attended the event. The forum served as a venue to disseminate and discuss the DOH Zika Virus response and other relevant important topics for its prevention and control.
 
Click here to download the program.
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