Public urged to synergize vs. dengue

By: Jemin B. Guillermo

ROXAS CITY, Capiz – Health authorities in Capiz urged the public to work together to curb the dengue problem.

Provincial Health Officer Dr. Samuel Delfin said preventing the breeding of mosquitoes by destroying their breeding sites is the best way to address the dengue disease that afflicted thousands of residents here.

Delfin said that the cooperation of everyone to do clean-up activities and sustain the drive is the most effective measure and cheapest way to prevent the disease.

He noted a decline in the number of cases in Morbidity Week 30 (July 21 to July 27, 2019) with 503 cases, compared to 562 cases during Morbidity Week 29 (July 14 to July 20).

On the other hand, Sangguniang Panlalawigan member Dr. Esteban Jose Contreras lauded the support and the cooperation of all the stakeholders in the community which led to the decline in cases during the recent monitoring period.

Contreras, who chairs the SP’s Committee on Health, said there was significant decline in the number of cases after the intensive conduct of cleanup drive in all the municipalities and city.

“This is also attributed to social mobilization and the help of the media, local government units and national government agencies and everyone in the fight against dengue,” he said.

Record from the Provincial Health Office here showed that dengue cases from January 1 to July 27, 2019 totaled 4,209 cases with 18 deaths.

The figure is 988 percent higher than the 387 recorded dengue cases during the same period last year.

The youngest victim was two months old and the oldest was 86 years old.

Meanwhile, Provincial Administrator Edwin Monares lauded the synergy of everyone in this drive against dengue.

He also called everyone to sustain this effort to eventually stamp out this disease. (PIA)