As rainy season starts Talisay to intensify anti-dengue drive in schools

CEBU, Philippines -  With the start of the rainy season, the Talisay City government, through the City Health Office, will be conducting anti-dengue campaigns in barangays and the city's public elementary and high schools.

City Councilor Francis Richard Aznar, chairman of the committee on health, made the assurance as he announced that the city is ready to protect residents against threats of diseases of the rainy season, most especially dengue.

Aznar said the city will implement the 4 o'clock habit where schools and barangays are instructed to clean their surrounding every 4 p.m. to search areas and containers with stagnant water that serve as breeding sites for dengue-causing mosquitoes.

  "I believe that the health of the people should be on top of everything," Aznar said as he reminded the public anew of the threat of the spread of the dengue virus and warned the public to take the necessary precautions now that the rainy season has started.

"Public awareness and community participation and utilization of effective control measures through the Committee on Health have been causing dengue cases in the city to drop off," Aznar said.

Barangays Lawaan, San Roque, Tanke and San Isidro have been identified as having the most number of dengue cases.

Last month, the Department of Health in Central Visayas reported an 81.7 percent decrease in dengue cases in the region for this year compared to the same period of last year.

Dr. Jonathan Neil Erasmo, Communicable Diseases Control Section Head of DOH-7, said 1,150 cases were reported from January 1 to May 17 of this year compared to last year's 6,294 cases.

The number of deaths caused by dengue also went down with five deaths this year compared to 21 deaths last year.

Based on the report, Cebu City had the most number of cases with 216 and one death, followed by Lapu-Lapu City with 122 cases while Dumaguete City in Negros Oriental had 98 cases and one death.

 Minglanilla in Cebu and Sibulan in Negros Oriental recorded 38 cases while Tagbilaran City, Bohol had 39.

Other reported dengue cases were Talisay City, Cebu—32; Carcar—22; Guihulngan—20 and Naga City—19.

Ages of people with dengue cases ranged from one month to 87 years old but most of those affected were under the 6 to 10 age group.  (FREEMAN)