DOH eyes city’s drive as model in war on dengue

Despite the surging incidence of dengue in Cebu City, health officials from the national office yesterday expressed interest to use the city’s initiatives as model in handling the dreaded disease.

But Mayor Tomas Osmeña was quick to respond that it is too early to tell if the city is successful in its campaign against the virus because until now, dengue cases in the city still continue to surge.

He said while the number of dengue cases in Labangon and Lahug have dropped, the incidence of the disease has remained high. The two barangays have formerly topped the list of baranagys in the city with most number of dengue cases.

“Labangon is no longer in the top 10 but I’m not convinced. We really don’t have something to showcase at this time,” he said.

He warned that the city is now under very dangerous situation because dengue cases in the city this year are much higher than those last year.

The Anti-Dengue Task Force reported last Wednesday that as of February, there are now about 262 cases of dengue with 10 deaths in the city.

The report identified Talamban as having the most number of victims, followed by Guadalupe, Mabolo, Inayawan, Tisa, Ermita, Tejero, Basak Pardo, Sambag II, Basak San Nicolas, and Cogon Pardo.

Citing the high incidence of dengue, Osmeña warned that the city is heading for an epidemic, adding that dengue may still reach its peak in June.

Department of Health Undersecretary Alex Padilla and other health officials paid Osmeña a visit yesterday at the City Hall.

The mayor said during their meeting, they also discussed ways on how to combat the disease.

The city has been scrambling for ways on how to fight the deadly disease as the City Council has declared the city under the “state of continuing calamity” because of the high incidence of dengue fever.

The Anti-Dengue Task Force has been going around the city to search and destroy possible breeding sites of dengue-causing mosquitoes while the City Health Department is also conducting entomological survey of the top 15 affected barangays.

The city has also intensified the dengue awareness drive by conducting “pulong-pulong” in the barangays to educate the people about the disease and how to prevent it.

The mayor wants the people to be aware that aside from the usual breeding sites like empty bottles, pails, drums, tires and drums, dengue-causing mosquitoes also thrive in flower vases, dish pans, and even water dispensers.

He said the life cycle of the mosquito larvae is seven days so he advised the public to change the water in their water vases and empty their dish pans every three to four days. — Wenna A. Berondo/LPM