DoH joins ASEAN countries in observing Dengue Day

• Source: http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?nid=1&rid=772563
• Monday, June 15, 2015

By Lilian C. Mellejor [(PNA), CTB/LCM/LDP]

DAVAO CITY, June 15 (PNA) – As the country says goodbye to summer and usher in the rainy days, the Department of Health (DoH) kicks-off the everyday 4 o’clock Habit campaign for the prevention of dengue during the observance of the ASEAN Dengue Day here on Monday.

The ASEAN Dengue Day, which is hosted this year by Davao City, is observed by each country in the Association of Southeast Nations (ASEAN) where simultaneous activities are held to raise awareness on dengue. It also aimed at mobilizing resources for prevention and control involving the health, private and public sector stakeholders.

Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, DoH officials led by Secretary Janette Loreto-Garin and Undersecretary Vicente Belizardo joined representatives from the Department of Education. Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, local government and barangay officials in the whole day activities that included the Dengue Bulletin Board Making Contest in seven grade schools and seven high schools, Dengue Interactive Learning Games, a motorcade, Dengue Street Dance Competition, Walk Against Denue and commitment exercise.

Belizardo said they are holding Dengue Day in Davao City as their first stop in Mindanao, now a priority area for the dengue campaign. He said they wanted to make way into the areas in Mindanao where there are also best practices that can be copied in other areas.

Belizardo said the Philippines has been leading Dengue campaign and the country’s best practices have been shared to other ASEAN-member countries. The observance of ASEAN Dengue Day was agreed by ASEAN health ministers in 2010 in view of the fact that the countries are fighting a common enemy and joining forces is the best way to defeat dengue.

Secretary Garin has noted that dengue is transmitted in 100 tropical countries with close to 100 million people presenting with symptoms of mild and severe disease. Health officials considered dengue as an important health problem with a considerable and often under-valued disease burden in terms of frequency, cost and quality of life.

Garin even considered it as the most prevalent and important mosquito—borne infection worldwide and that it demands a multi-pronged response not only by government, private and public health sector but also other agencies.

DoH reported that cases in the country now stand at 25,616 from January 2015 to May 2015, indicating 10 percent higher compared to the same period last year with 23,151 cases.

There are 75 deaths recorded that is lower than in 2014 with 100 deaths. DoH reported that majority of the cases were males and the most affected age group are the 5 to 14 years old.

In Davao region, DoH XI reported a decrease of 35 percent in dengue cases which stand at 1,407 from January 2015 to June 13, 2015.

DoH regional Director Abdullah Dumama said the number of dengue cases is lower compared to the same period last year with 2,168. There were four (4) recorded deaths that is lower by 50 percent compared last year with nine (9) deaths.

“We should not be complacent with the result of our intensified actions to prevent and control dengue in the past years which showed significant dsecrease in the number of reported cases,” Dumama said.

Dumama said that while Davao City still has the highest cases in Davao region he however noted the best practices that helped the city government lower the dengue cases such as Brigada Dengue sa Eskwela and the active involvement of the communities to maintain cleanliness in the area.

According to Director Lyndon lee Suy, the top five regions with high dengue cases are Region 4-A or the Calabarzon area followed by the National Capital Region (NCR), Region 3 (has the highest population density and highly urbanize areas), Region 10 or the Northern Mindanao area, and Region 7 which is the Central Visayas area.

Suy said that while there is a decrease in the number of cases in the country by 40 percent the government should leave no room for complacency. He said the prevention campaign must continue and strengthened more particularly the 4 o’clock habit which calls for cleaning of areas such as canals, stagnant waters, covering of containers that can be breeding sites of mosquitos, among others.

The dengue strategy includes an approach to harmonize prevention, entomological and epidemiological surveillance and case a management partners with existing government health system.