BY: JENNIFER C. TILOS
DUMAGUETE CITY, June 20 (PIA) -- Despite the decreasing cases of dengue in Dumaguete City as well as in the province of Negros Oriental, local health officials renewed warnings to protect against dengue fever-carrying mosquitoes.
In a Kapihan sa PIA recently, Dumaguete City Health Officer, Dr. Sarah Talla said her office has recorded 58 dengue cases from January 1 to June 14 this year compared to last year with 384 cases.
However, Dr. Talla still urged the public to practice the “4 o’clock habit” to maintain cleanliness in and outside the house as well as in the schools for the breeding sites of dengue-carrying mosquitoes be trashed.
This is under the Department of Health’s (DOH) ‘Search and Destroy Campaign’ through the ‘Aksyon Barangay Kontra Dengue’ (ABKD).
With the onset of rainy season and in observance of Dengue Awareness Month this June, Dr. Edgardo Barredo, Assistant Provincial Health Officer of Negros Oriental enjoined households and schools to take simple steps by checking uncovered water containers, empty tires and rain gutters where the mosquito Aedis aegypti can lay eggs.
Dr. Barredo complemented World Health Organization’s (WHO) report that “The increase in the number of dengue cases may be attributed to the constantly changing climate brought by global warming as well as congestion in urban areas”.
As early as 2008, the World Health Organization (WHO) issued a report on the correlation of climate change and vector-borne diseases like dengue.
Dr. Barredo said his office has intensified the anti-dengue IEC campaign with the ABKD, conducted entomology survey in every cities and municipalities, distributed citronella lotions and insecticides to identified areas.
In Negros Oriental, Dr. Barredo reported a total of 376 dengue cases have been recorded for the first six months with two fatalities compared last year with 1,586 cases and six deaths.
This year’s two deaths came from Bais City and Dumaguete City.
According to the health officer, efforts were in place to bring down cases of dengue in the province where series of trainings of local health workers develop ovitraps and had organized Provincial Dengue Task Force.
Dumaguete City will join the provincewide Anti-Dengue Caravan on June 20 to raise level awareness among barangays residents. (mbcn/JCT/PIA7-Negros Oriental)