Loren alarmed by rising dengue cases

MANILA, Philippines - Sen. Loren Legarda yesterday expressed alarm at the continuing rise in the number of dengue cases in the Philippines.

The senator stressed that climate change is a major factor in the increase of deaths due to various illnesses.

Legarda, chair of the Senate Committee on Climate Change, cited the study “Climate Vulnerability Monitor 2010,” which revealed that it is not disasters but diseases that cause the most number of deaths by climate change.

“Climate change, especially in tropical countries like the Philippines, creates more rainfall and warmer temperatures. Coupled with the worsening solid waste management problem in our cities, we have conditions that provide optimal breeding for disease-carrying mosquitoes,” Legarda said in a statement.

According to the Department of Health (DOH), around 32,193 cases of dengue infection were documented between January and June this year.

This is 3.89 percent higher than the 30,989 cases recorded in the same period last year. The National Capital Region had 7,670 cases, Central Luzon had 5,552 cases, and Calabarzon had 4,508 cases.

“There is a wider trend here which the public must be made aware of,” she noted.

“These global trends in weather conditions are already manifesting their effects on our very doorsteps, and with the increase in percentage of dengue cases this year, it is clear that we need to do more and act fast,” Legarda stressed.

In an earlier statement, Legarda also urged the DOH to strengthen its initiatives on disease and health surveillance and enhance its awareness campaigns on climate-sensitive diseases, not limited to dengue but including other major diseases related to climate change.

“The same report revealed that each year, 350,000 people die because of health hazards related to climate change, like pulmonary infections, malaria, cholera, heatstroke, and skin infections. If we remain complacent, climate change will claim at least 800,000 deaths per year by 2030,” she explained.

“What we are seeing here are the fundamental links among climate conditions, the ecosystem, and the impact that human beings are making on the environment. Our measures must address all of these facets of the problem. A safe and healthy future depends on a good combination of education and action,” Legarda added.