City Health ramps up campaign vs dengue

The Davao City Health Office (CHO), through its Tropical Diseases Division, is ramping up the campaign to prevent cases of dengue in the city.

CHO Tropical Diseases Division Head Elizabeth Banzon, during the I-Speak media conference on Thursday, said the health sector is alarmed by the significant number of dengue cases reported last year and is now set on intensifying measures to fight the mosquito-borne disease.

A total of 2,360 dengue cases were recorded in 2022 which is significantly higher than the 1,481 cases recorded in 2021. Children as young as two years old to 23-year-old adolescents make up these number.

“Taas ang atong (figures) sa 2022 pero kontrolado. Our goal now this 2023 kay maubsan ni (Actually, our 2022 figures are high but still under control. Our goal now this 2023 is to bring it down),” Banzon said.

Fatalities also doubled from six deaths recorded in 2021 to 12 deaths in 2022. Banzon said in 90 percent of these cases, the patients succumbed due to late referral to health professionals.

“Atong ginakampanya gyud mismo na kung pwede pag naa lagi’y masakit, diretso agapan, magpakonsulta (We are really campaigning for people, whenever possible, to consult their doctors when they get sick),” she added.

Banzon said the Dengue Virus Antigen Detection or Dengue NS1 test kit is available in all District Health Centers for free, and that people can also consult with a general physician at the district health centers free of charge.

Since the rainy season is said to last until February, mosquito population is bound to increase if left unchecked. Banzon said the weather, along with the recent holiday celebrations which produced a significant amount of trash— most notably empty bottles, tin cans, and other liquid containers that can serve as ideal breeding places for dengue-carrying mosquitos —can further increase the risk of an outbreak.

Eradicating the disease is a gargantuan task that will require all sectors of the community to work together, Banzon said, as she urged all Dabawenyos to keep their surroundings clean and to regularly clean the waterways in the communities.

Aside from their usual anti-dengue measures such as education and information campaigns in residential areas, schools, and the barangay, the CHO is also aiming their campaign at the private sector, urging them to practice proper garbage disposal and to responsibly dispose waste water. CIO