Ilocos Sur steps up campaign vs dengue

VIGAN CITY, Philippines – Amid the rising number of dengue cases in the province, Ilocos Sur Gov. Luis “Chavit” Singson convened all town officials and local health authorities to an emergency consultative conference dubbed as “Dengue Summit” last Friday to seriously address the spread of the disease that has so far claimed 12 lives.

Earlier, Singson had placed Ilocos Sur under a state of calamity to enable the provincial government to avail itself of funds to come to the aid of afflicted rural folk.

In the conference, anti-dengue provincial health team leader Benjamin Castillo said a total of 2,293 dengue victims were undergoing treatment in local clinics and hospitals as of Aug. 18, with 12 deaths recorded. Last Aug. 16, the number of cases was only 1,784.

The number of cases so far, according to Castillo, is 370 percent more than last year’s.

In Ilocos Norte, meanwhile, Laoag City was placed under a state of calamity due to a dengue outbreak, with more than 250 cases recorded since January, with eight deaths. – With Artemio Dumlao