Davao bags awards for anti-malnutrition, filariasis drive

DAVAO CITY— The City Health Office (CHO) bagged four awards from the Department of Health (DOH) for programs combatting malnutrition and filariasis.

Dra. Josephine Villafuerte, CHO chief, said Thursday the Compendium and the Pag-asa awards were accorded to the local health office for the success of its nutrition and anti-filariasis programs.

“This only means that we are successful with our programs and we made it sustainable all throughout,” Villafuerte said.

On malnutrition, she said the city has established the severe and acute malnutrition rehabilitation program, which is commonly used in disaster and conflict-affected areas.

Villafuerte noted that the city was the first to put up the program even if it is not under the state of war and disaster.

“There are a lot of malnourished children identified in the city. We are implementing "Operation Timbang" in the areas we have identified and give treatment to the children and check them on a weekly basis,” she said.

Villafuerte also said the city has been filaria-free for five years because of the local government's continuous preventive measures.

“We do de-worming for five years in areas we identified just to make sure that there will be no more victims of filariasis,” she said.

Villafuerte added that the signs and symptoms of filariasis usually show from eight to ten years, and that de-worming must be implemented for five years to flush out the mosquito larvae. (Funny Pearl A. Gajunera/PNA)