ANTI-DENGUE DRIVE. The Cordillera Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council approves a resolution on Tuesday (July 12, 2022) asking all local government units in the region to intensify their anti-dengue efforts as cases continued to rise. Since January, the region has recorded 4,487 dengue cases, a 287-percent increase from the same period last year. (PNA photo courtesy of Ferdinand Tamulto)
BAGUIO CITY –The Cordillera Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (CDRRMC) on Friday urged local government units (LGUs) to ramp up efforts to protect the public against dengue as cases in the region continued to rise.
“Most of the provinces and cities in the region have a high incidence of dengue so we need to improve the dengue prevention and control measures," CDRRMC chairman and Office of Civil Defense regional director Albert Mogol said on Friday.
He said the CDRRMC has approved Resolution 3, series of 2022, that places responsibility and accountability on the multiple levels of government, including punong barangays mayors and governors; members of the local DRRM councils, and the regional Inter-Agency Task Force in tackling the rapidly increasing dengue cases in the region.
“This is truly alarming; one dengue case is one too many considering that we are still in the middle of the Covid-19 health emergency. We encourage the members of the Cordillera DRRMC and the local DRRM councils to implement all necessary measures in this fight against dengue,” Mogol said.
Based on the Department of Health Cordillera Administrative Region’s (DOH-CAR) Dengue Disease Surveillance report, 4,487 suspected dengue cases were reported in the region from January to July 2022.
The DOH report said the number is 278 percent higher compared to the same period last year.
Mogol said that the resolution tasked Punong Barangays to conduct dengue response activities such as the conduct of the "4S strategy" that includes searching and destroying mosquito breeding sites, self-protection, seeking early consultation, and saying yes to fogging only if there is an outbreak.
Mayors were also asked to spearhead the monitoring of dengue response activities with the assistance of the Local Government Operation Officer (C/MLGO), City/Municipal Health Officer, and City/Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Officer (C/MDRRMO).
The resolution also called on the local DRRM Officers to procure emergency drugs and diagnostic test kits while taking preventive measures against Dengue.
Provincial Governors were also asked to provide guidance, assistance, and logistic augmentation in the conduct of dengue response activities.
In 2019, the Cordillera DRRMC created an inter-agency task group for dengue with the DOH-CAR as the lead agency, through Cordillera DRRMC Memorandum 38, Series of 2019.
Meanwhile, the Baguio City government on Friday announced that the clustering of dengue cases has now been reported in 54 of the 128 barangays, up from only 41 on July 1.
The city government has set every Thursday as a cleanup drive day as part of “Denguerra,” a campaign to encourage residents to do synchronized destruction of mosquito-breeding places in their homes and community.
City health officer Dr. Rowena Galpo said that the local government's dengue caravan and Information and Education Campaign (IEC) continue. Insecticide-treated curtains will also be given to eight elementary schools and five high schools in different barangays. (PNA)
