PH Joins WHO Solidarity Trial Against COVID-19

The Department of Health (DOH) announced today, April 23, 2020, in a press release the participation of our country in the World Health Organization (WHO) Solidarity Trial. Our country’s participation has been approved by the Single Joint Research Ethics Board (SJREB) last April 17, 2020. This is in support of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 or COVID-19 global response.

As of April 21, 2020, there are already over one hundred (100) countries which pledged participation in the Solidarity Trial. According to WHO, the greater the number of participating countries, the faster results will be generated.

“We are glad to partner with the Philippines and other countries around the world to help find an effective treatment for COVID-19. The more countries that will be participating in the Solidarity trial, the quicker we will see results.” - WHO acting representatives, Dr Socorro Escalante and Dr Tauhid Islam

Philippines Solidarity Trial Representatives

Dr. Marissa Alejandria of the University of the Philippines College of Medicine and President of the Philippine Society for Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, in collaboration with the Department of Health (DOH) and the World Health Organization (WHO), will lead the  Philippine representatives to the WHO Solidarity clinical trial. 

Maria Rosario Vergeire, OIC-Undersecretary, on the other hand, will serve as the Department of Health (DOH) official liaison.  The OIC-Undersecretary siad, “There is currently no magic drug or known treatment for COVID-19 and there is an urgency to find effective treatment.”

Working Together Against COVID-19

“We share the optimism of the DOH as we move forward with the Solidarity trial. Let us continue to work together to beat COVID-19,” said the WHO acting representatives.

 

SOURCE Department of Health (DOH) and World Health Organization (WHO)