CHO lauds partners as dengue cases fall 60%

By Glazyl M. Jopson

BACOLOD CITY — The City Health Office (CHO) here has welcomed increased support from partners in its anti-dengue campaign after reporting a 60.4% drop in dengue cases in 2025.

CHO records showed 1,040 dengue cases with seven deaths in 2025, down from 2,624 cases in 2024 — a reduction of 1,584 cases, with the same number of fatalities.

Barangays with the highest number of cases were Mansilingan, 102; Taculing, 79; Estefania, 72; Tangub, 67; Villamonte and Vista Alegre, 60 each; Singcang-Airport, 58; Alijis and Mandalagan, 51 each; and Granada, 49.

Of the seven dengue-related deaths, two were recorded in Barangay Vista Alegre, and one each in Barangays Alijis, Mansilingan, Handumanan, Villamonte, and Mandalagan.

Children and teenagers accounted for the majority of infections, with 728 pediatric cases recorded.

These included 445 cases in children aged 1–10 years, 283 in those aged 11–19, and 17 involving infants under one year old.

Of the total cases, 404 were male and 341 were female.

Despite the decline, Dr. Grace Tan, head of the CHO Environment and Sanitation Division, cautioned the public against complacency.

“While reported dengue cases this year are significantly lower than last year, that doesn’t mean we should assume it is no longer a problem,” she said.

Tan noted that Bacolod has experienced dengue surges in the past.

She said the CHO continues to intensify its information campaign, urging barangays and schools to strictly implement preventive measures.

Tan joined a media roundtable discussion Wednesday with Dr. Rachelle Vicencio and Dr. Alexis Millan of the Philippine Pediatric Society at Bacolod City College in Barangay Taculing.

The discussion emphasized the importance of dengue vaccination as part of long-term disease control.

Tan expressed appreciation for the growing collaboration among stakeholders in dengue prevention.

“We need support from all sectors, including barangays, schools, and private institutions,” she said.

As part of these efforts, Takeda Healthcare Philippines Inc. (THPI) has partnered with the Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines to bolster dengue prevention initiatives and empower local government units.

THPI introduced a second-generation dengue vaccine designed to provide long-term protection.

The vaccine, TAK-003, was developed by Japanese pharmaceutical company Takeda and has shown efficacy and safety in the Phase 3 Tetravalent Immunization against Dengue Efficacy Study (TIDES).

Vicencio and Millan discussed the future of dengue control through vaccination, citing positive results from the TIDES trial.

TAK-003 has been authorized in 41 countries, including the European Union, United Kingdom, Brazil, Argentina, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, and Vietnam.

The vaccine is currently under review by the Philippine Food and Drug Administration.

To date, around 20 million doses have been distributed across 11 dengue-endemic countries, the doctors said.

THPI has served Filipino patients since 1968, expanding access to treatments in oncology, gastroenterology, rare diseases, and vaccines while contributing to the country’s healthcare system.