Drive vs dengue up in Las Piñas

Las Piñas City Mayor Vergel Aguilar has ordered the city health department to launch a massive information campaign on the prevention of dengue, H-fever, leptospirosis and other water-borne diseases with the onset of the rainy season.

At the same time, Aguilar also directed doctors and the health staff in the city’s more than 30 fully-equipped and state-of-the-art health centers to attend to dengue cases and help in the prevention campaign.

To effectively implement the program, youths and students will be organized into a Dengue Brigade. Also tapped were barangay officials and watchmen.

The Dengue Brigade, composed of elementary and high school students from all public and private schools in Las Piñas, will be mobilized in the implementation of the program spearheaded by the local health department.

"The school children will also be enlisted for the promotion of a clean surroundings in their respective schools and communities and even in their own homes on dengue prevention and control to prevent the spread of the deadly dengue virus," Imelda Aguilar, wife of the mayor and co-chairperson of the Las Piñas City Dengue Brigade, said.

At the same time, the Barangay Dengue Watch, composed of 20 barangay captains and more than 300 kagawads and Sangguniang Kabataan leaders will take part in the surveillance of dengue and to monitor the health situation in their respective communities.

Aguilar also asked Virginia Peñafuerte, Las Piñas City schools superintendent, to include in health education classes information on dengue prevention and control and use physical education classes in conducting a once a week community cleanliness drive.

Dengue is a deadly virus transmitted to humans through mosquito bites.