DOH officials lead 'search and destroy' vs. dengue

By Ma. Teresa Montemayor

August 13, 2019, 5:42 pm

<p>Health Secretary Francisco Duque III (3rd from left) and other DOH personnel hold a banner at the launch of the Sabayang 4-o-clock Habit. </p>

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III (3rd from left) and other DOH personnel hold a banner at the launch of the Sabayang 4-o-clock Habit. 

MANILA -- Health Secretary Francisco Duque III and other officials of the Department of Health (DOH) on Tuesday led the "search and destroy" activity inside its headquarters as part of its anti-dengue campaign.

During the activity, Duque inspected the different areas inside the DOH compound which could be possible breeding places of mosquitoes.

He reiterated that the search and destruction of these breeding areas is part of the department's 4S strategy against dengue which includes self-protection measures, seek early consultation, and support fogging or spraying.

To strengthen the fight against the disease, Duque said another "s" measure could be added to their 4-S strategy.

"I may suggest to the executive committee later that from 4S we make it 5S or sustained hydration. This is very important," he added.

Duque reported that there is a total of 167,607 cases of dengue with 720 deaths from January 1 to July 27, 2019.

"The Philippines has lower cases of dengue compared to other ASEAN countries, but the case fatality ratio is high," he said.

The latest DOH data showed that the National Capital Region has gone down to "below alert threshold" level on the number of dengue cases and deaths in each local government unit.

However, Muntinlupa City has gone beyond the threshold level with 315 cases from January 1 to August 3, 2019, while Taguig City also already breached the threshold level with 490 cases for the same period.

Duque also urged the public to keep their surroundings clean because it is the best way to prevent dengue cases and deaths.

On August 6, the DOH launched the Sabayang 4-o'clock Habit to raise awareness and encourage the community to do its share and take time to get rid of dengue breeding sites after it has declared a national epidemic. (PNA)

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