Hazel
F. Gloria
CEBU CITY, April 7 (PIA) --- The Department of Health (DOH-7) is
strongly promoting awareness and prevention of Malaria and other
common illnesses.
Crestita Gloria, Medical Technologist III of DOH-7 during the
recent Association of Government Information Officers (AGIO-7)
Forum, said, “the department in coordination with the other networks are
working hard through advocacy campaign to eliminate malaria as one of the
public health threats in the region.”
She said the target year for a “malaria-free” Region 7 is in 2018
after a series of prevention and controls, border operations in endemic areas,
orientation of disease and importance are fully conducted.
Malaria is a disease that is transmitted through infective
mosquitoes particularly female Anopheles.
People usually get malaria after being bitten by an infective
mosquitoe, said Gloria.
This mosquitoe can transmit malaria and they must have
been infected through a previous blood meal taken from an infected person.
When a mosquito bites an infected person, a small amount of blood
is taken in which contains microscopic malaria parasites, explained Gloria.
Cases are divided into two: indigenous that came from that
specific area and imported case came from other endemic areas.
Based on records of DOH-7, the last indigenous case involving
three (3) people was found in 2011 at Brgy. Talala, Sitio Avocado, Sta.
Catalina, Negros Oriental where breeding sites were spotted.
However, the recent update of an imported case happened this year
at the same place in Negros and it was suspected that it came from the Overseas
Filipino Worker (OFW) from Africa.
Medical attention through blood smear was performed.
The signs and symptoms of malaria include high fever, sweating,
headache, vomiting, nausea and chilling. It is almost the same as dengue yet
malaria targets only the red blood cells (RBC).
At the same forum, Dr. Joanni Riveral, Medical Specialist III of
DOH-7, spoke about common illnesses that may occur especially this summer and
the ways to prevent it.
These illnesses include sore eyes, various skin diseases, sun
burn, cough and colds, food poisoning, and rabies.
Dr. Riveral said the way to prevent these diseases is to take
pre-cautionary measures by drinking 8 to 12 glasses of water to avoid
dehydration, put on proper body covering, and observe proper
hygiene.(rmn/hfg/PIA-7 with report from Pauline dela Cruz)