The fight against pandemics

I’m quite alarmed by the extent of the global outbreak of the A(H1N1) virus, better known as the swine flu. Last June, the World Health Organization (WHO) raised its pandemic alert rating to level six, the highest possible level. This alert status has increased steadily since early this year, when an outbreak of the new strain of Influenza A virus subtype H1N1 was reported.

In the US, no less than President Barrack Obama has declared a state of swine flu emergency, as a reaction to reports that 46 out of 50 states are experiencing a surge in flu activity.

Given the high number of foreign visitors entering the country trying to escape the winter season, the Philippines is at great risk of a possible outbreak. Considering that air travel is the fastest way of transmitting diseases, it is reassuring that health authorities and quarantine personnel are keeping close watch on arriving tourists, foreign businessmen and other groups coming into the country including the balikbayans.

If this pandemic hits the Philippines with a feared second wave and it goes unchecked, the havoc that this could wreak on us can be just as devastating as that of typhoons Ondoy or Pepeng. Latest figures put at more than 5,200 the number of persons afflicted with swine flu.

Fortunately, the country now has the means to combat the spread of this dreaded disease.

The local arm of GlaxoSmithKline recently released results of the research surrounding its A(H1N1) vaccine. The results demonstrate that with just one dose, their vaccine can provide a strong immune response that exceeds the criteria provided by international licensing authorities for a pandemic influenza vaccine. This is a heartening bit of news, considering that the WHO has been seeking a viable vaccine since the pandemic reared its ugly head.

Vaccines are just one weapon in the fight against pandemics. Antiviral drugs also play a key part in the public health response during outbreaks. In line with this, Glaxo has made available to hospitals in the country its antiviral drug zanamivir, branded as Relenza. With the availability of Relenza, health authorities should be able to protect a larger number of people.

The drug company’s efforts are in line with a notice distributed by the European Medicines Agency. The organization advises that zanamivir be stocked along with the other antiviral drug oseltamivir, as a preventive measure to combat the possibility of the virus becoming immune to any drug. Just the same, Glaxo maintains that chances of the virus developing immunity to zanamivir remain low.

Since the global spread of H5N1 in 2003, GSK has been working with local health institutions to prevent the virus from spreading in our country. The availability of Relenza in hospitals serves as an effective instrument in combating swine flu.

Imagine the ensuing scenario without these medicines. Local health experts estimate that a pandemic with an average attack rating of 30 percent can keep up to 50 percent of our workforce from reporting for work, crippling businesses and local economies. The numbers are truly disturbing. Fortunately, there are organizations committed to preventing this new calamity from reaching our shores, or at least to contain them should they succeed in breaching our defenses.

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On a matter also related to air travel, there is a rather disturbing news that I learned upon my return to Manila last week from Beijing, China where I attended the 5th Asia Pacific Conference on Reproductive and Sexual Health and Rights. And this might aggravate the health problem that would be posed by air travelers who could be carriers of the swine flu virus.

I was informed of an impending trouble at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) resulting from the dispute between Customs personnel and airline companies concerning the payment of overtime compensation and meal and travel allowances. The dispute arose from the refusal of the airlines to shoulder such payments to Customs, Immigration and Quarantine personnel who render overtime work in the inspection and processing of baggage and documents of passengers, as well as the cargo carried by the airlines.

Amid the current apprehensions concerning the swine flu, the question is, what would happen should Quarantine personnel (apart from Immigration and Customs) stop working beyond the regular working hours of 8 a.m. to 12 noon and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. because they will not be paid for overtime services? This may not take place at all and the fear may be misplaced. But if it does happen, how do we check incoming and outgoing passengers who may be carriers of the flu virus? At the very least, who will man those thermal screening equipment used to detect possible carriers of flu?

I understand that the practice regarding overtime pay and related charges started way back in 1974, or 35 years ago, and the rates had been adjusted upwards four times since then. The last adjustment was made more than 17 years ago in 1992 when rates were based on the foreign exchange rate of P25 to $1 prevailing at that time. In 2005 however, the Bureau of Customs increased the overtime rate and based it on that year’s exchange rate of P55 to the dollar.

The airline companies opposed this and twice asked Malacañang to stop its implementation. Upon being turned down, the Board of Airline Representatives (BAR) went to the Court of Appeals which ruled that charging the overtime pay and related allowances to the airline firms was illegal. This favorable ruling prompted the airlines to altogether stop paying the overtime pay and allowances, even under the old rates. They argue that since the Customs, Immigration and Quarantine people are government employees, it is the government that should answer for these.

But there never has been any government appropriation for overtime pay. As things stand, there’s no hope at all that funds would be set aside for this purpose.

The Customs people, through the Office of the Solicitor General, has filed a Motion for Reconsideration with the Eleventh Division of the Court. The speculation is that the case may even reach the highest tribunal.

In the meantime, NAIA Customs Collector Carlos So is asking the airline companies to continue paying the overtime compensation even under the 1992 rates, while the case is under review. He contends that the airlines’ decision to stop the payments is premature since the Court’s decision is not yet final and executory.

Hopefully, both sides will consider public interest as the overriding factor in this dispute, and resolve their differences in an amicable manner. Having said that, I must also say that basing overtime compensation on the old exchange rate of P25 to $1 is utterly unrealistic. For one thing, there is such a creature called inflation. I wonder, wouldn’t it also be nice if they’ll also sell plane tickets at this exchange rate?

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