No overseas Pinoys reported with monkeypox so far —OWWA

The Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) on Monday said no overseas Filipinos have been reported infected with the monkeypox virus so far.

“Wala pa tayong nare-report sa awa ng Diyos mula sa ating Department of Health, mga embahada, at [Philippine Overseas Labor Offices] patungkol dito,” OWWA administrator Hans Leo Cacdac said in an interview on GMA News’ Unang Balita.

(We have no reported overseas Filipinos infected with the monkeypox virus from our Department of Health, embassies, and Philippine Overseas Labor Offices.)

Nevertheless, Cacdac said OWWA is ready to provide financial assistance in case overseas Filipinos catch the disease.

Aside from this, possible livelihood and scholarship assistance can be given to infected overseas Filipinos if they decide to go back to the Philippines for good, he added.

On Sunday, the World Health Organization said monkeypox constitutes "moderate risk" to global public health after cases were reported in countries where the disease is not typically found.

"The public health risk could become high if this virus exploits the opportunity to establish itself as a human pathogen and spreads to groups at higher risk of severe disease such as young children and immunosuppressed persons," WHO said.

As of May 26, a total of 257 confirmed cases and 120 suspected cases have been reported from 23 member states that are not endemic for the virus, according to WHO.

No fatalities were reported so far, it added. —KBK, GMA News