WHO expert in PH to assist in genomic surveillance 

A technical expert of the World Health Organization has arrived to help the Department of Health monitor the spread of Covid-19 variants in the country.

The consultant arrived from Geneva, Switzerland last week and has been helping the DoH and another team of consultants from the WHO Philippines country office in the past few days.

“Gusto nating mas maintindihan pa kung ano yung epekto nitong variants, ano yung level of transmission sa bansa when it comes to the variant at gusto nating magkaroon ng technical assistance on how we can better manage na may variant na ganito sa ating bansa (we want to understand the effects of these variants, the level of transmission and to have technical assistance on how we can better manage these variants),” Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said during a media briefing on Monday.

The consultant will also assist the government on its genomic biosurveillance activities, such as improving the number of samples for sequencing to see the national scope of the variant spread.

Vergeire said that the consultant will stay in the country for at least a month.