Organic cream to stop spread of dengue

STA. BARBARA, ILOILO, Philippines  — Barangay officials and health workers in this town on Friday made mosquito repellents for distribution to schools on Monday as a way of helping curb the spread of dengue in the province.

The village officials packed close to a hundred cups of neem cream, which will be given to elementary students for free, an ABS-CBN News report said yesterday.

Neem cream is a natural mosquito repellent made from the leaves of the neem or Indian lilac tree. Aside from repelling mosquitoes, neem cream is also used in traditional medicine to help relieve chronic skin conditions.

The Department of Health said a total of 70,697 cases were reported in the first seven months of this year in Iloilo, with Sta. Barbara town registering the highest number of dengue patients, from January to August this year, with 446 cases and three deaths. (FREEMAN)