LINGAYEN–The number of deaths in the province caused by dengue dropped by 50%, from 23 last year to 12 for the period January to October 15 according to data from the Provincial Health Office.

Total dengue cases in the province also decreased by 75% to 590 from more than 2,000 during the period in review, said Dr. Anna Teresa de Guzman, acting provincial health officer.

In an interview with The PUNCH, De Guzman said the decline is notable accomplishment for the province and she attributed the marked improvement to the early and consistent information campaign on dengue prevention.

Also this year, there was a shift in focus on prevention from the previous fogging operations to the cheaper larvacide scheme where high-risk areas were given a powder solution that kills mosquito eggs and larvae.

Operation Taktak Mo, which involves the emptying and cleaning of big cans and clogged gutters, contributed greatly to the successful campaign against dengue, said De Guzman.

De Guzman is optimistic that the current statistics will be maintained for the remainder of the year.

Dengue down
in Dagupan

In Dagupan, dengue fever cases decreased significantly this year as compared to last year’s with the continuous campaign of health officials.

Dr. Leonard Carbonell, city health officer, said from January to October 11 this year, there were only 118 cases reported with no fatality.

Carbonell said that the number is much lower compared to last year’s for the same period with 236 cases, also with no fatality.

He said that they are continuously conducting monitoring and initiating a clean-up drive among households.

Carbonell said  they are advocating the 4s mode to prevent the spread of the disease, including searching and destroying the possible breeding place of mosquitoes; promoting self-protection by wearing long sleeves or pants; seeking immediate medical advise if there are signs of possible dengue fever; and saying no to indiscriminate fogging since it is costly.

He added that the ‘Itaob Mo, Giyera Laban sa Dengue’ project launched by the city government in coordination with the regional office of the Department of Health (DOH) early August is also one of the key factors that contributed to  the significant decrease of the dengue cases in the city.—CSR

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