DOH: 'Tawa-tawa' can rehydrate dengue patients

MANILA, Philippines - With dengue cases still on the rise, Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Enrique Ona said yesterday that the tawa-tawa (Euphorbia hirta L.) plant seems to help rehydrate patients.

“It is taken like a tea. It’s good for rehydration. However, it’s very preliminary,” Ona said of an initial study by the Department of Science and Technology.

He said the results are not yet conclusive so it is “very difficult” for the (DOH) to make any official recommendation its use. “They are trying to isolate the active ingredients or components of tawa-tawa (that are therapeutic). Hopefully they can do that and then they can make a concentrate,” he added.

There is no cure for dengue and patients die primarily because of dehydration. Only five percent of cases require blood transfusion.

DOH records show that as of Aug. 20, there have been 56,005 dengue cases reported nationwide, including 321 deaths, this year. This is 24.3 percent lower than the 74,028 cases, including 517 deaths, during the same period last year. Metro Manila accounts for 22.4 percent of cases; followed by Central Luzon with 18.7 percent and Calabarzon with 14.2 percent.