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By Kristina Maralit, Manila Times
THE Department of Health (DoH), though still without a permanent head, "must be kept functioning," as it is not just the coronavirus disease the country needs to address but other public health and safety concerns, President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. said.
While he still has yet to make an appointment, Marcos said the government must ensure the country is ready to curb emerging threats from other diseases.
"We have to remember that the DoH is not about Covid-19 alone. It's about public health in general. So that's another side of it, and it's as important as Covid-19 is. The dengue rates are climbing. We also have the second-highest HIV rate of infections in the world," the Chief Executive told TV host-actress Toni Gonzaga in their one-on-one interview.
"TB is coming back. These are things that we have to attend to," he added.
In the case of monkeypox, while other countries have had a surge in infections, the Philippines remains "OK," and he has already sat down with DoH executives "about the acquisition of the monkeypox vaccine."
