Dengue season almost over — DOH
October 18, 2006 | 12:00am
"It’s almost over."
This was how a disease expert of the Department of Health (DOH) described the present dengue situation in the country.
Dr. Eric Tayag, director of the DOH’s National Epidemiology Center (NEC), said the number of dengue cases in the past weeks has been on a decline.
Tayag noted the DOH observed that per week, only around 400 cases surfaced in the past weeks. "We can declare is officially over if per week, we’ll see below 250 cases."
NEC records showed that there were a total of 23,212 dengue cases from Jan. 1 to Sept. 30. This is 19 percent lower compared to the 28,592 cases registered during the same period last year.
Metro Manila accounted for the highest number of cases at 6,608, followed by Central Luzon with 5,016; Central Visayas with 2,283; Ilocos region with 1,585 and Cordillera Autonomous Region with 1,307.
The DOH intends to make the anti-dengue campaign an all-year subject of its information program although the disease is seasonal.
Tayag noted that the downward trend of dengue usually starts during the last two weeks of October. however, Typhoon Milenyo was a factor for the early decline in cases.
"Milenyo had driven away the adult mosquitoes. The typhoon helped a lot. And also, the public became vigilant in fighting dengue because of our awareness campaigns. It’ a confluence of these factors," he said.
Tayag urged the public not to be complacent despite this development.
He stressed that clean-up operation must continue to eliminate the possible breeding sites of mosquitoes.
Las Piñas City Mayor Imelda Aguilar has ordered the city health department to launch a massive house-to-house information campaign against dengue and other water-borne diseases.
To effectively implement the campaign, a task force on dengue, composed of barangay officials as well as officers of the city health and engineering departments, Environmental Sanitation Center, Clean and Green Council, the sanitation office, schools and homeowners’ associations, was organized.
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 monitoring the health situation in their respective communities.
Aguilar also directed all doctors and health staff in the city’s more than 30 health centers to attend to dengue cases and help in the prevention campaign.
The mayor also visited schools to personally monitor the situation. She directed school officials and teachers to implement the four o’clock habit program of the Department of Health to stop the spread of dengue.
She also ordered the organization of the "Dengue Brigade" at all public and private schools mobilizing all elementary and high school students in Las Piñas in the implementation of the program spearheaded by the local health department.
"We have to involve the school children and the other sectors as well in the stopping dengue effectively. Community effort is needed to protect the health of our people," Aguilar said.
This was how a disease expert of the Department of Health (DOH) described the present dengue situation in the country.
Dr. Eric Tayag, director of the DOH’s National Epidemiology Center (NEC), said the number of dengue cases in the past weeks has been on a decline.
Tayag noted the DOH observed that per week, only around 400 cases surfaced in the past weeks. "We can declare is officially over if per week, we’ll see below 250 cases."
NEC records showed that there were a total of 23,212 dengue cases from Jan. 1 to Sept. 30. This is 19 percent lower compared to the 28,592 cases registered during the same period last year.
Metro Manila accounted for the highest number of cases at 6,608, followed by Central Luzon with 5,016; Central Visayas with 2,283; Ilocos region with 1,585 and Cordillera Autonomous Region with 1,307.
The DOH intends to make the anti-dengue campaign an all-year subject of its information program although the disease is seasonal.
Tayag noted that the downward trend of dengue usually starts during the last two weeks of October. however, Typhoon Milenyo was a factor for the early decline in cases.
"Milenyo had driven away the adult mosquitoes. The typhoon helped a lot. And also, the public became vigilant in fighting dengue because of our awareness campaigns. It’ a confluence of these factors," he said.
Tayag urged the public not to be complacent despite this development.
He stressed that clean-up operation must continue to eliminate the possible breeding sites of mosquitoes.
To effectively implement the campaign, a task force on dengue, composed of barangay officials as well as officers of the city health and engineering departments, Environmental Sanitation Center, Clean and Green Council, the sanitation office, schools and homeowners’ associations, was organized.
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 monitoring the health situation in their respective communities.
Aguilar also directed all doctors and health staff in the city’s more than 30 health centers to attend to dengue cases and help in the prevention campaign.
The mayor also visited schools to personally monitor the situation. She directed school officials and teachers to implement the four o’clock habit program of the Department of Health to stop the spread of dengue.
She also ordered the organization of the "Dengue Brigade" at all public and private schools mobilizing all elementary and high school students in Las Piñas in the implementation of the program spearheaded by the local health department.
"We have to involve the school children and the other sectors as well in the stopping dengue effectively. Community effort is needed to protect the health of our people," Aguilar said.
BrandSpace Articles
<
>
- Latest
- Trending
Trending
Latest
