MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Health (DOH) yesterday called on the public to step up their defenses against dengue after it recorded a 16.5-percent increase in the cases this year.
DOH spokesman Lyndon Lee Suy urged the public to eliminate all possible breeding sites of mosquitoes, noting a total of 78,808 people across the country were afflicted with dengue from Jan. 1 to Sept. 5.
In Cavite, the provincial government declared a state of calamity after it recorded a total of 3,904 cases with 16 fatalities from January to Sept. 12.
The provincial government of Bulacan declared an all-out war against the disease after the number of cases breached the 4,000 mark.
Based on the records of the DOH-Epidemiology Bureau, the 78,808 is higher by 16.5 percent than the 67,637 cases recorded during the same period last year.
Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon) accounts for 11,894 cases, followed by Central Luzon with 11,806; National Capital Region, 8,099; Ilocos region, 6,501; and Central Mindanao, 5,795.
There were 233 deaths recorded.
Based on the records of the Cavite epidemiology and surveillance unit, of the 16 recorded deaths, seven were in Dasmariñas City; one each in GMA, Indang, Naic, Rosario, Silang, Trece Martirez City and three in General Trias.
Cavite health officer George Repique said the figure is 200 percent higher than the number of cases recorded in the same period last year.
The provincial health office of Bulacan said the number of dengue cases has reached 4,033 with 10 deaths as of Sept. 17.
Most of the cases were recorded in the City of San Jose del Monte with 562, followed by San Rafael, 373; Sta. Maria, 364; Bustos, 286; San Miguel, 266; Malolos, 251; San Idelfonso, 202; Hagonoy, 191; Pandi, 178; Baliuag, 159; Bulakan, 127; Bocaue, 133; Guiguinto, 118; Plaridel, 108; Balagtas, 108; Calumpit, 108; Marilao, 110; Meycauayan, 100; Angat, 88; Norzagaray, 65; Obando, 35; and Donya Remedios Trinidad, 24.
Gov. Wilhelmino Sy-Alvarado appealed to residents to help fight the disease by searching for and destroying all possible breeding sites of dengue-carrying mosquitos.
As this developed, Philippine Red Cross (PRC) chairman Richard Gordon assured the public there is enough supply of blood, not only for dengue patients but for other cases as well.
Gordon said if a local PRC chapter or blood facility does not have enough blood supply, the national headquarters could coordinate with the nearest Red Cross blood center to send the blood. – With Ed Amoroso, Arnell Ozaeta, Ric Sapnu, Ramon Efren Lazaro