Building capacity on One Health in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic: Connecting disciplines in the Philippines

Background and Aim: There have been limited capacity-building activities on One Health in the Philippines. To contribute to capacity development in One Health, the authors conducted the first short course on One Health in the country for health, allied health, and collaborating professionals. This study aimed to review the preparation and implementation of the One Health course and describe the challenges and opportunities of conducting the course during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Materials and Methods: The course curriculum was developed by a multidisciplinary group of experts. The objectives for the course were as follows: (1) Describe the concept, scope, and applications of One Health; (2) identify social and economic factors influencing food security and safety, control of zoonoses, and combating antimicrobial resistance; and (3) describe the challenges and opportunities in applying the One Health approach to achieve better public health outcomes. Recruitment of participants was based on predetermined criteria. The 3-day course was conducted online through Zoom. Pre- and post-tests as well as the evaluation of the course were administered through Google forms. Results: The 3-day online course was attended by 136 participants from 15 of the 17 administrative regions of the country. A multidisciplinary group of experts delivered a total of 11 lectures divided into the following sessions: (1) Fundamentals of One Health; (2) Interrelatedness of Human, Animal, and Environmental Health; and (3) Applications of One Health. Conclusion: As the first One Health course in the Philippines, this 3-day course demonstrated the feasibility of conducting capacity-building on One Health for a multidisciplinary group of participants during the coronavirus disease-19 pandemic. It may serve as a model for similar and more in-depth courses on One Health for specific groups in the future and has set the stage for intersectoral communication and education, providing an avenue for collaboration for professionals in various disciplines, and facilitating the expansion of One Health network in the Philippines

Current status of neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) in the Philippines

In the Philippines, ten NTDs are prevalent, but only six namely LF, schistosomiasis, STH, food-borne trematodiases, rabies and leprosy are considered to be of public health importance. The 81 provinces in the country are endemic for at least one of these NTDs. Others may be endemic for two or even more of these diseases. Since 2000, after the Philippines accepted and implemented the WHO guidelines for NTDs prevention, control and elimination, significant progress has been achieved in reducing the magnitude of NTDs endemic in the country. Since 2009, out of 46 filariasis-endemic provinces, the number of provinces that has eliminated LF has progressively increased so that by 2015, 76% are already LF-free. By 2019, only four provinces remain endemic for LF. For schistosomiasis, as of 2012, report from the Department of Health (DOH) put the number of high endemic provinces at 10, moderately endemic at 6 and low to elimination levels at 12. For STH, results of the National Parasite Survey in the Philippines among school-aged children conducted in 2015 by the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine, the research arm of the Philippine DOH, however, showed that the overall cumulative prevalence was 28.4% with a prevalence range between 7.1% and 67.4%. The figures are way above the \u3c20% prevalence standard set by the World Health Organization. Control and prevention efforts for FBTs just gained traction with the call of WHO for elimination of NTDs in 2015. There is an urgent need to update information by an intensive national baseline survey that can validate previous data as well as generate new information on the magnitude of the FBT problem in the Philippines. For leprosy, elimination activities have been intensified in high prevalence areas and from 2009 to 2013, case detection and prevalence were sustained at \u3c1.0 per 10,000 population. Rabies elimination activities have been effective that by 2011, only five regions out of 16 remained with the highest number of rabies cases. In a period of seven years from 2010 to 2017, the number of rabies-free provinces and municipalities increased from 3 to 49. Problems continue to hound the NTD programmes in the Philippines as priorities shift to more urgent health problems in a country that is weighed down not only by the triple burden of disease but serious health consequences of emergencies and disasters and the fast-growing population itself. Paradigm shifts are suggested to replace the traditional and conventional perspectives of control. These include change from disease approach to intervention approach to allow for integration of strategies targeting several NTDs and multisectoral, multidisciplinary approach requiring strong, viable and sustainable partnerships involving various agencies of the government, public and private sector, pharmaceuticals, academe, researchers, local government units and the endemic communities themselves

Oncomelania hupensis quadrasi: Snail intermediate host of Schistosoma japonicum in the Philippines

Oncomelania hupensis quadrasi is the snail intermediate host of Schistosoma japonicum in the Philippines. It was discovered by Dr. Marcos Tubangui in 1932 more than two decades after the discovery of the disease in the country in 1906. This review, the first for O. h. quadrasi, presents past and present works on the taxonomy, biology, ecology, control, possible paleogeographic origin of the snail intermediate host and future in research, control and surveillance of the snail. Extensive references are made of other subspecies of O. hupensis such as the subspecies in China for which majority of the advances has been accomplished. Contrasting views on whether the snail is to be considered an independent species of Oncomelania or as one of several subspecies of Oncomelania hupensis are presented. Snail control methods such as chemical methods using synthetic and botanical molluscicides, environmental manipulation and biological control are reviewed. Use of technologies such as Remote Sensing, Geographical Information System and landscape genetics is stressed for snail surveillance. Control and prevention efforts in the Philippines have consistently focused on mass drug administration which has proved inadequate in elimination of the disease. An integrated approach that includes snail control, environmental sanitation and health education has been proposed. Population movement such as migration for employment and economic opportunities and ecotourism and global climate change resulting in heavy rains and flooding challenge the gains of control and elimination efforts. Concern for possible migration of snails to non-endemic areas is expressed given the various changes both natural and mostly man-made favoring habitat expansion