Dr. Eva Rabaya, North Cotabato provincial health officer and head of the Integrated Provincial Health Office. (Photo courtesy of North Cotabato IPHO)
COTABATO CITY – North Cotabato's health authorities have raised the alarm on the rising cases of dengue in the province that reached 1,136 from January to June this year.
“This is 390 percent higher compared to the same period last year,” Dr. Eva Rabaya, North Cotabato's Integrated Provincial Health Office chief, said Tuesday.
Rabaya said North Cotabato’s lone city and 17 municipalities have listed only 229 cases in 2021.
Eight dengue patients have died so far this year, she said. The patients were from Kidapawan City, and the towns of President Roxas, M’lang, Alamada and Magpet.
“In 2021, only one patient had died,” she said.
She warned that 2022 is considered as an epidemic year, in which dengue cases would rise over a three-year cycle.
In the face of the alarming cases, Rabaya appealed to all North Cotabateños to clean their surroundings by practicing the “4S” strategy.
The strategy stands for the Search and destruction of mosquito breeding sites; application of Self-protection measures like wearing of long dress and pajamas; Seeking early consultation with medical experts when symptoms appear, and Supporting fogging operations when an outbreak occurs. (PNA)
