Dear Colleague,
Greetings! I am the Principal Investigator of a research project entitled Nationwide yaws active surveillance and case detection in selected areas of Luzon and Visayas regions in the Philippines, in cooperation with the Department of Health (Infectious Diseases Office Disease Prevention and Control Bureau and Health Policy Development and Planning Bureau) and the Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (PCHRD). The implementing agency is the Philippine Leprosy Mission, Inc. Its main objective is to determine the presence of at least one active or latent yaws case in each of the regions of Luzon and Visayas. The presence of at least one case in a locality makes it endemic for yaws.
Yaws is non-venereal treponemal infection mainly affecting the skin and the bones in children. It is one of the Neglected Tropical Diseases that is potentially eradicable. There have been confirmed active yaws cases in Mindanao detected in 2017 during a study conducted by this Investigator. Due to this pioneering study, the World Health Organization has recognized the Philippines as the 14th country endemic for yaws.
This second yaws study is conducting an active surveillance system so that we can pick up reports from health professionals including members of the Philippine Pediatric Society. This project entails the following activities:
1. Through email, you will be given information on yaws and instructed to familiarize yourselves with the clinical characteristics of yaws.
2. You will be invited to answer an online questionnaire about yaws even if you have never encountered yaws in the past. Informed consent will be secured.
3. You will be requested and reminded to refer any yaws suspects to the Principal Investigator anytime during the study period until May 2020.
Please extend your cooperation and assistance for the successful implementation of this study by accomplishing the Google Form within 2 weeks of receiving it. Please click on the link
https://forms.gle/FVeW44Kp6h91FNwC7
If you accomplish and submit the online questionnaire, you will have a chance to win a token prize during a raffle at the end of the study period.
Attached are the Yaws information materials (Yaws Fact Sheet, Yaws Recognition Booklet, Yaws Clinical Photos of Filipinos) for your perusal before answering the online form.
If you have any questions regarding the yaws study, you may contact me at 0917-6294329 or belendofitas@gmail.com. Thank you for your valuable support!
Sincerely yours,
BELEN L. DOFITAS, MD FPDS
Principal Investigator
Yaws Study II
Downloads:
Letter YawsII PPS member Aug10 2019
Yaws ClinicalPhotos Filipinos
YAWS FACT SHEET WHO may 21 2019
YawsRecognitionManual
