TACLOBAN CITY- With still rising of dengue fever cases in Eastern Visayas, which already claimed 24 lives as of this week, the Department of Health (DOH) has urged cooperation from other government agencies, to include the Church, to help contain further spread of the mosquito-causing ailment.
Dr. Minerva Molon, health regional director, said that addressing dengue fever is not just the concern of their department but of the community members and other government agencies.
“We have (noticed) that during cleanliness campaign, it always involved health workers, barangay health workers,” she said during a press conference Tuesday.
But considering the rising number of dengue fever not only in the region but the rest of the country, it’s about time that other members of society should get involved on addressing the problem, Molon added.
According to her, their office has already sought assistance from other government agencies like the Departments of Education (DepEd), Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Interior and Local Government, and even the Church.
Molon said that the DepEd could help in the clean up around schools considering that most of those who were afflicted with the ailment were children of school age; the DWSWD to include campaign during family development sessions among members of the 4Ps (Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program), the DILG to cascade information campaign to all local government units, and the local Church to urge the faithful who attends masses to conduct their own cleanup on their surroundings and houses.
As of July 19, the DOH in the region has monitored 6,327 cases with 24 deaths.
The current dengue fever cases is about 123 percent higher compare to the same period last year or just 2,833 cases with 20 deaths.
By province, Leyte has the highest number of dengue fever with 1,998 cases and 12 deaths followed by Samar,876 cases with two deaths; Eastern Samar with 609 cases with seven deaths; Northern Samar(563 cases with no death);Biliran(408 cases with one death) and Southern Leyte,272 cases with no fatality reported.
While the dengue fever cases in the region is increasing, Molon said that their office could not yet declare a dengue epidemic considering that there are provinces or municipalities which have low dengue fever cases like Southern Leyte and Biliran.
Among the six provinces of the region, Leyte declared a state of calamity last Friday (July 19), allowing it to make use a portion of its calamity fund to buy needed medicines and even fogging machines.
(JOEY A. GABIETA)
