Health Department Promotes Dengue Awareness

(PIA) – – With the onset of the rainy season, the health department reminds the public anew on Dengue awareness and advises people to do regular clean-up drive for possible mosquito breeding sites.

DOH- Cordillera Medical Officer IV Dr. Alexei Marrero, in a kapihan forum on June 18, reported that from January to June 13, the diseases surveillance report shows 575 dengue cases recorded in the region including one death.

Benguet recorded the most cases with 135, followed by Abra with 125, Apayao – 83, Baguio City – 82, Kalinga – 61, Ifugao – 24 and Mountain Province with 11. There were also 54 non-CAR patients who underwent treatment in the region.

Though lower by 17 percent compared to the 691 cases recorded during the same period last year, Marrero iterates the call for a regular clean-up drive especially on possible Dengue mosquito breeding sites.

Baguio City Epidemiology Surveillance Unit Dr. Donnabel Tubera also supported Marrero’s statement, as she pointed out that as Dengue has become a year- round illness, cases are expected to peak during the rainy months especially every July and August.

Tubera reminded the public of the health department’s four o’clock habit, which promotes a daily clean-up drive with the slogan, “Stop” – every 4pm, “Look” – for a search and destroy actions against possible mosquito breeding sites and “Listen” – to barangay officials for the proper ways to get rid of Dengue mosquito in their areas.

Prevention is still the best way to combat any illness and with Dengue, a vector virus being transmitted by Aedes Aegypti mosquito to human, getting rid of possible mosquito breeding sites is the primary preventive thing to do, Tubera added.

For the said forum, Dengue Awareness Month and ASEAN Dengue Day (June 15) were among the health events promoted by the DOH Cordillera Regional Office and their partners from the City Health Services Office, Philippine Red Cross, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency and the Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center. (JDP/CCD – PIA CAR)