Handwashing, use of alcohol urged as protection vs. mpox, illnesses

The regional health office reminded local government units (LGUs) and the public anew to revive the practice of handwashing and use of alcohol-based sanitizers as protection against mpox and other diseases. Geeny Ann Austria, Nurse V and chief of the Department of Health (DOH) - Cordillera region's communications management unit, said in an interview Friday that the public must make a habit out of handwashing and having a bottle of alcohol on hand, just like during the pandemic. 'Marami tayong behavioral nudges, saka maraming handwashing facilities na available. Ngayong post-pandemic, nawala siya kaya kailangan nating ibalik (We have many behavioral nudges and had a lot of handwashing facilities. These are gone post-pandemic, so we need to revive them),' she said. Austria said mpox is transmitted through skin-to-skin contact with an infected person, thus, this could be avoided by handwashing and using sanitizers, along with disinfecting high-contact surfaces, such as those in massage boutiques and hotels. She said that while mpox is not yet in the Cordillera region, it is already present in the Philippines, thus prevention is being pushed. Austria cited the Prevent, Detect, Isolate, Treat and Reintegrate (PDITR) strategy, which was proven effective during the pandemic and has been adopted by the DOH for many illnesses. 'We are prompting the LGUs to prepare infection prevention control and practices, which are standards and if we adhere to that standard, we expect to have that level of preparedness,' she added. Source: Philippines News Agency