ARMM health dep’t declares Maguindanao measles outbreak

COTABATO CITY, Philippines – The health department of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao declared on Tuesday a measles outbreak in Maguindanao and launched an inquiry on why field officials did not report 37 cases from January to April this year to regional authorities.

Kadil Sinolinding Jr., ARMM’s regional health secretary, said in an interview with Catholic station dxMS here yesterday that 37 Maguindanao residents were afflicted with measles from January to April this year, but no report about this reached the regional government.

“I have learned from a fellow physician that for April alone, there were 12 measles cases in the province,” Sinolinding said.

Sinolinding said the measles cases were reported directly to certain national government entities in total disregard of regional communication protocols.

“We shall also investigate why this was not brought to the attention of the regional government,” he said.

Maguindanao is one of the five component provinces of the ARMM, which also covers Lanao del Sur and the island provinces of Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi.

ARMM Executive Secretary Laisa Alamia said the region’s Humanitarian Emergency Assistance and Relief Team will initiate a separate verification of the reported measles cases in Maguindanao to complement the Sinolinding’s inquiry.