Dengue cases in Makati down

MANILA, Philippines - The Makati Health Department (MHD) on Friday reported a significant reduction of 56.8 percent in the number of dengue cases recorded in the city, with 258 cases from January 1 to September 30 this year compared to 597 cases during the same period in 2012.

Makati Mayor Jejomar Erwin Binay lauded the positive outcome of the “synchronized and persistent” efforts of various sectors in the promotion of dengue-free communities in the city.

“We owe this remarkable success in our citywide dengue prevention and control program in Makati to the steadfast commitment of our frontline city agencies and partners in the barangays and schools, the private sector and the national government. Our residents also deserve praise for their cooperation and support to initiatives being implemented to keep their families and neighborhood safe from dengue,” Binay said.

Binay cited the hardworking officials and personnel of the MHD and its partners, including the Department of Environmental Services (DES) and Liga ng mga Barangay at the local level, and the Department of Education-Makati (DepEd-Makati), Department of Health (DOH) and Department of Science and Technology (DOST).

Since 2011, these agencies have been engaged in active collaboration for dengue prevention in the city’s barangays, schools, public facilities and workplaces. Their activities include sustained clean-up operations in households, classrooms and school grounds, playgrounds and waterways.

According to the latest report from MHD, the bulk of the 258 dengue cases as of September 30 was reported by the Ospital ng Makati with 227 cases, including the lone fatality from dengue hemorrhagic fever to date – a five-year old girl from Brgy. West Rembo. Last year, the city recorded six deaths from dengue.

The other reported cases came from the health centers, Makati Medical Center, Sta. Ana Hospital, St. Lukes Hospital, Cardinal Santos Medical Center, Rizal Medical Center, San Juan de Dios Hospital, Manila Doctors, Medical City, and Pasay General Hospital.

MHD records show that the ages of dengue patients ranged from 11 months to 60 years, with the most affected age group being 11 years to 20 years, or from pre-teens to young adults.

Teams composed of barangay and city officials, school officials, faculty, parents, students and community workers, have been regularly setting up ovi-larvi traps in schools and strategic areas to effectively monitor the presence of Aedes mosquitoes and destroy breeding sites. The DOST provides the ovi-larvi kits with natural larvicide pellets while DepEd-Makati, MHD and DOH monitor the project implementation.

The MHD and DES have also been closely coordinating with Liga to ensure that dengue prevention and control measures, including the spraying of adulticide targeting adult dengue carriers in high-risk areas, are properly and safely carried out.

The MHD has also set up a Facebook account where it posts relevant information on dengue prevention and control. At the same time, updates from the various barangays, including photos documenting their activities posted in the account, have enabled health officials to keep track of the program’s implementation status. The account, Mhd Dengue, has around 300 members to date.

Meanwhile, the MHD has set up priority lanes in barangay health centers to facilitate detection and management of dengue cases, and continuously conducts lectures on dengue and its prevention especially in at-risk communities, such as those near waterways.

Last year, the Makati City Council passed City Ordinance No. 2012-007 or the “Anti-Dengue Vector Ordinance of Makati” that mandates all owners, managers, administrators and/or caretakers of households, schools, vacant lots, abandoned houses, and various types of business establishments to clean up and constantly monitor their premises to avoid the accumulation of stagnant water where dengue-carrying mosquitoes breed. Buildings and structures under construction are also covered by the ordinance.

Violators of the ordinance will be penalized with three hours of community service on first offense, P1,000-fine and community service on the second offense, and P3,000-fine and community service, or even imprisonment, on the third offense.

The ordinance also mandates that all prevention and control interventions that use chemicals shall secure prior clearance from the MHD.

All pest control operators are thus required to register or be accredited by the MHD prior to rendering services in any area within the jurisdiction of the city government.

Applicants for accreditation are required to submit a photocopy of the following: current business permit, applications training, company profile (including services rendered), and BFAD/DA Certification and safety profile of chemicals or pesticides to be used.  - Mike Frialde