Pertussis, or whooping cough cases have been on the rise in many places of the world this year, and the Philippines is one of those countries.

During the first three months of the year, Philippines health officials have reported well over 1,100 cases, which is a more than 30 fold increase over the same period in 2023.

In addition more than 50 deaths have been reported, all in young children

Here to talk more about pertussis and the situation in the Philippines is Edsel Salvana, MD. Dr Salvana is Director and Professor, Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, National Institutes of Health, University of the Philippines Manila.