Dengue fatalities in Western Visayas climb to 46

By John Noel E. Herrera

The Department of Health (DOH) in Western Visayas recorded additional fatalities due to dengue in the region as cases also continued to increase.

DOH-6 logged nine deaths from July 17 to 23, 2022, bringing the death toll in the region to 46 since January of this year.

Negros Occidental and Antique province reported three new fatalities, respectively, Iloilo province with two, and one from the cities of Iloilo and Bacolod.

Negros Occidental posted the highest death toll in the region with 14, followed by Iloilo province with 13, Antique with nine, Bacolod City with seven, Aklan with two and Iloilo City with one.

Western Visayas also logged 7,825 dengue cases from January to July 23, 2022 which accounted for a 513 percent increase in cases compared to 1,227 recorded cases during the same period in 2021.

Negros Occidental topped the list with 2,747 cases, followed by Antique with 1,919, and Iloilo province with 1,432 cases.

Data also indicated that Aklan logged 360 cases; Capiz, 398; Guimaras, 125; Bacolod City, 443, and Iloilo City, 401.

Aklan had earlier declared a state of calamity as dengue cases surged in all of its 18 towns.

With the declaration, it gave Governor Rhodora J. Cadiao authority to use the Quick Response Fund (QFR) of the Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund for dengue prevention and response programs.

Iloilo City Mayor Jerry P. Treñas also said in a press conference that the City Hall is close to declaring a state of calamity amid the continued rise in dengue cases in the city.

Meanwhile, Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson said that he expected the cases to increase further in the months of August and September due to the rainy season, but clarified that despite the spike in cases in the province, none of the areas affected by mosquito-borne disease have reached the alert or epidemic status.

The DOH-6 also reminded the local government units (LGUs) in the six provinces and two highly urbanized cities in Western Visayas to boost their anti-dengue programs.