DOH relaunches ‘4 o’clock habit’ vs dengue in Batangas

MANILA, Philippines -  Fearing an increase in dengue even during summer, the Department of Health (DOH) relaunched its “4 o’clock habit” program against the mosquito-borne disease in Batangas City the other day.

DOH Assistant Secretary Dr. Eric Tayag said it is also possible to have dengue outbreaks during summer because of the practice of people to store water in open containers.

“We expect to experience water shortage this summer so people will be surely stocking up on water. If they don’t cover the containers, they can become breeding sites for mosquitoes,” he said.

The program was first launched by former DOH secretary Carmencita Reodique by tasking community leaders to lead the cleanup of possible breeding sites of mosquitoes when the clock struck 4 p.m.

This year’s theme “Stop, Look, and Listen. ABKD, Pagtibayin!” focuses on stopping every 4 p.m. to “look inside and outside the house to search and destroy possible mosquito breeding places, listen to barangay officials about the dengue status in their respective communities… and join the Aksyon Barangay Kontra Dengue (ABKD) activity.”