A minister in the Philippines has urged women to delay pregnancy until more is known about the mosquito-borne Zika virus raging in Latin America, even though the Asian country's only reported case of zika was four years ago.
Much remains unknown about Zika, but the virus has been linked to thousands of cases of birth defects in Latin America, and the World Health Organization has declared an international public health emergency.
"To those who are not in a hurry to get pregnant, maybe they can postpone and wait next year when we know more about the virus," Health Minister Janet Garin said in a radio interview on Sunday, suggesting they practice family planning methods.
On Monday, an outspoken Roman Catholic bishop accused the health minister of using the scare over Zika to suggest people practice family planning.