The Philippines is not yet a “neo-natal tetanus free” country, with the finding of a case in Negros Oriental, involving a newly-born infant aged three to 28 days, health team leader Dr. Socrates Villamor Jr. said yesterday.

If at least three more tetanus cases on newly-born infants can be found, Villamor said, a massive tetanus toxoid immunization campaign will be conducted for pregnant women in at least 23 provinces in the country.  

Negros Oriental is one of the provinces in the country identified by the World Health Organization to have high risk of maternal and neo-natal tetanus cases, the Department of Health said.

It was chosen by the WHO as a pilot area of the study, Villamor said.

A maternal and neo-natal tetanus survey conducted last week by the DOH, in cooperation with the WHO and the United Nations International Children Emergency Fund, found out that a newly-born infant from Villasol, Bayawan City, about 100 kilometers south of Dumaguete City, has died of tetanus.

The DoH does not have the exact date of the death of the baby, but it took place in the past two years, which is within the period covered by the survey.

After the survey on October 18 to 24 this year in 77 barangays in Negros Oriental, a second survey in 154 other barangays will be conducted soon.*RA

back to top