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DOH reconstituting IATF in line with Marcos' streamlining policy —Palace


The Department of Health (DOH) is reconstituting the member agencies of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases or more commonly known as the IATF, Malacañang said Tuesday.

In a statement, Malacañang said the IATF will only have member agencies with relevant and intended functions.

“The DOH is also reconstituting the member agencies of the IATF to only those with relevant and intended functions,” Palace said.

Pending the reconstitution, DOH officer-in-charge Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said they will streamline IATF meetings and processes with clear directives for safe reopening.

Vergeire added that they will also use the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) as a platform, replacing the National Task Force Against COVID-19 (NTF).

“The platform will replace the NTF to integrate it with the regular processes. This will allow the IATF health expert groups to continue their work as they serve as the voice of science in the country,” Malacañang  said.

Malacañang issued the statement a day after President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr.  met with DOH officials to discuss the COVID-19 pandemic and the government's response to the disease.

Marcos earlier directed his Cabinet members to streamline their processes and gave the officials "free hand" in handling their respective agencies. —Joviland Rita/KBK, GMA News

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