Iloilo City Council Seeks Mpox Case Info Disclosure

By Rjay Zuriaga Castor

The Iloilo City Council has called on health authorities to disclose key information about confirmed and probable mpox cases to help contain and prevent the spread of the virus.

Councilor Alan Zaldivar, chairperson of the Committee on Health, Sanitation and Hospital Services, announced plans to request that the City Health Office release more detailed data—similar to COVID-19 contact tracing efforts—such as age, gender, and barangay or district of the patients.

Zaldivar, a social worker by profession, emphasized that patient confidentiality must still be respected.

“If we are hiding something, if we are divulging it publicly, there are certain reasons. First is the protection and welfare of the patient as well as the family,” he said.

While confidentiality remains a priority, Zaldivar acknowledged the importance of involving local communities in prevention and response efforts.

“But if there is really a need for us to involve the community, then we will do so in some ways that we can achieve our purpose with regard to interventions that we are calling for,” he added.

He said the situation is currently being managed by the City Health Office, but effective communication with barangay officials is essential to promote awareness and containment.

“We would like to involve the barangay, our community, so that they are aware and they know what to do and they can at least contain the virus in their barangay,” he said.

Zaldivar’s remarks came in response to Councilor Sedfrey Cabaluna, who, along with other councilors, proposed adopting the COVID-19 contact tracing framework for mpox.

The proposal focuses on releasing essential, non-identifiable information to aid public health efforts without compromising patient privacy.

“Those are things that will help us also understand […] so that we can also advise our community on what they need to do,” Cabaluna said.

He also underscored the importance of tracking travel history and potential community transmission to determine how mpox is spreading locally.

Councilor Ely Estante echoed the call, saying barangay officials must be informed of cases in their jurisdictions to alert their constituents accordingly.

Zaldivar added that he is considering drafting an ordinance to establish a balanced framework for information disclosure in future communicable disease outbreaks.