QC forms dengue text brigade

Manila, Philippines -  The Quezon City government has established text brigades to help speed up the reporting of dengue cases in the city.

City health officer Dr. Antonieta Inumerable said the text brigades will help spread the word of what areas with dengue cases need immediate attention. She said it will be easier for the city health department to respond to the needs of communities with reported dengue cases, especially giving them access to services provided by the city’s public health system.

“Apart from doing constant checking of situation in barangays, the city health department is also trying to reduce as early as possible the number of dengue cases in the city which are expected to peak in August,” she said.  

Inumerable said the city’s intervention program for dengue prevention calls for a systematic and planned house-to-house advocacy campaign that will be carried through community-based dengue vector control strategies.

“While the city health department is exerting its best effort to control the increasing trend of dengue cases, a more focused and sustainable strategy is still needed to control the spread of the disease,” she said.

The city’s community-based dengue vector control strategy intervention package includes distributing information materials to each household, one-on-one dengue education campaign, space spraying in houses, and community cleanup drives.

The city’s health department also established dengue fever express lanes in all health centers and referral system with tertiary hospitals for prompt referral of cases that needs hospitalization.

As of July 7, the total of dengue cases already reported in Quezon City for the year reached 3,669, which is 35.3 percent higher compared to the same period recorded last year.

Barangays registering the most number of dengue cases are Batasan Hills, Commonwealth, Pasong Tamo, Tandang Sora, San Bartolome, Culiat, Fairview, Bahay Toro, Holy Spirit and Gulod.