The Philippine Council of Evangelical Churches (PCEC) has expressed hope that the country’s health authorities will allow the wider use of Ivermectin for the treatment of the coronavirus disease.
In a statement, the council said the drug “has been said to show promise, so that it has been receiving international and local support as a safe and effective treatment for COVID-19.”
“While vaccination is certainly vital in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, [the council] also deems it imperative that adequate attention be given to its prevention and treatment,” read the statement signed by Bishop Noel A. Pantoja, PCEC national director.
The bishop noted, however, that aside from two hospitals that were granted a “Compassionate Special Permit” for the limited use of Ivermectin, “the drug has remained off-limits to the public.”
“Considering the slow vaccine rollout in our country and the increasing number of infections, PCEC thus call on our medical and health authorities to very soon allow the public use of Ivermectin,” said Bishop Pantoja.
On Monday, April 19, the Department of Science and Technology said the country is preparing to conduct clinical trials for the use of Ivermectin against COVID-19.
The announcement was a departure from an earlier government pronouncement that there were no plans to conduct trials to determine efficacy of the anti-parasitic drug against the coronavirus.
“Hopefully after this trial we will have more reliable estimates of the effect of Ivermectin as an anti-viral agent that will reduce virus shedding in mild and moderate patients,” said Science and Technology Secretary Fortunato dela Peña.
The Food and Drug Administration has earlier granted two hospitals special compassionate permits for the use of Ivermectin for COVID-19 patients despite warnings from experts that the drug has unproven efficacy against the disease.
PCEC, meanwhile, said it strongly supports the vaccination program of the government, adding that it is “very much concerned” about misinformation about the vaccines that have been spreading.
“In view of the difficulties people are already facing in this pandemic, we enjoin our Evangelical constituents not to pay any attention to, or circulate, unfounded ideas that can only add to people’s burdens,” said Bishop Pantoja.
Source: Licas Philippines
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