Article type
Abstract
Background: During the 74th World Health Assembly in 2021, member states of the World Health Organization agreed to draft a global pandemic treaty in response to health emergencies. In 2022, the WHO declared monkeypox as a public health emergency of international concern. Even without a formal treaty, the Philippine Department of Health sought to institutionalize the mechanism of creating guidelines for rapid response to public health emergencies (PHE).
Objective: Describe the iterative development process of interim guidelines in response to PHEs, and their integration to the Philippine National Practice Guidelines Program (NPGP).
Methodology: References relevant on interim guideline development were scoped and reviewed. Appropriate components of these processes were abstracted, synthesized, and applied into the guidelines.
Results: Interim guidelines for monkeypox adapted guidance from international agencies due to the absence of up to date and/or high-quality studies. They were released in a timely manner for health agencies and healthcare facilities to respond should a monkeypox outbreak occur. A technical working group was created to advise on technical accuracy and implementability of the guideline. The process applied for the monkeypox guidelines was incorporated into the development of interim guidelines for diseases with outbreak potential.
Discussion: The Department recognizes the need in standardizing the process of interim guideline development for proactive response to PHEs including but not limited to training, procurement, immediate implementation actions, and incorporation to the Omnibus Health Guidelines as part of the NPGP. Health-related activities can contribute to interim guideline development upon capacitation of the standard processes set by the Department.
Objective: Describe the iterative development process of interim guidelines in response to PHEs, and their integration to the Philippine National Practice Guidelines Program (NPGP).
Methodology: References relevant on interim guideline development were scoped and reviewed. Appropriate components of these processes were abstracted, synthesized, and applied into the guidelines.
Results: Interim guidelines for monkeypox adapted guidance from international agencies due to the absence of up to date and/or high-quality studies. They were released in a timely manner for health agencies and healthcare facilities to respond should a monkeypox outbreak occur. A technical working group was created to advise on technical accuracy and implementability of the guideline. The process applied for the monkeypox guidelines was incorporated into the development of interim guidelines for diseases with outbreak potential.
Discussion: The Department recognizes the need in standardizing the process of interim guideline development for proactive response to PHEs including but not limited to training, procurement, immediate implementation actions, and incorporation to the Omnibus Health Guidelines as part of the NPGP. Health-related activities can contribute to interim guideline development upon capacitation of the standard processes set by the Department.