STORY: Peru declares health emergency due to spike in Guillain-Barre syndrome cases
DATELINE: July 9, 2023
LENGTH: 00:03:44
LOCATION: Lima
CATEGORY: HEALTH

SHOTLIST:
1. various of the decree
2. various of streets in Peru
3. various of the Peruvian Ministry of Health
4. various of the Minister of Health inspecting a hospital
5. various of patients

STORYLINE:

The Peruvian government declared a 90-day national health emergency Saturday due to the "unusual increase" of cases of Guillain-Barre syndrome, which total 165 with four deaths.

The decree, published in the official gazette El Peruano, details an action plan which has been drawn up with a budget of 12.12 million soles (3.3 million U.S. dollars) to improve patient care in health facilities, reinforce case control and prepare informative material for the population and health personnel.

Among the measures were the acquisition of intravenous immunoglobulin and human albumin, as well as specialized diagnosis of the biological agents associated with the syndrome and assisted air transport for patients in emergency or critical condition.

Guillain-Barre syndrome is a rare disorder where the body's immune system attacks part of the peripheral nervous system.

So far this year, at least 18 of the country's 24 departments have reported at least one case of the syndrome, according to the document.

The unusual spike in cases of a rare disease in a short period of time "negatively affects the continuity of health services, as there are not enough strategic resources to respond to the volume and complexity of the cases in health facilities," warned the decree.

Health Minister Cesar Vasquez requested the emergency declaration on Wednesday before the Council of Ministers, noting that "if the number of cases increases, there could be a lack of immunoglobulin."

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Lima.
(XHTV)