Dengue mosquito. (PNA file photo)
PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Palawan – Health officials in this province on Thursday sounded the alarm over a surge in dengue cases numbering 3,274 from January to June in various municipalities.
In an interview, Dr. Faye Erika Labrador, chief of the Provincial Health Office (PHO), called the spike “alarming,” causing her office to heighten its awareness campaign against the viral infection in cooperation with municipal health offices, the Department of Health's (DOH) provincial office, and other line agencies and stakeholders.
Based on the data released on Tuesday by the PHO, Taytay municipality reported the highest number of dengue cases, totaling 1,079.
Others with a high number of infections are Bataraza, 425; Roxas, 413; Brooke's Point, 322; and Narra with 202 cases.
Expressing her concern, Labrador emphasized that the present situation can be characterized as “worrisome,” and can even be classified as a potential outbreak.
Nonetheless, she said, the authority to declare a state of a public health emergency or outbreak rests with the respective municipal governments.
“For this year, from January, we really noticed an increase in cases of dengue and other illnesses compared to last year. The cases in Taytay from up January to March this year is [already] higher compared to the whole of 2022,” she added.
Labrador said in light of the ongoing trend, they have been actively working to raise awareness about dengue in schools and communities, with a focus on towns experiencing higher incidences.
The anti-dengue campaign is primarily focused on raising awareness about the 5S approach to effectively bring down cases: search and destroy activities, self-protection measures, early consultation, support for fogging and misting, and maintaining proper hydration.
Schools in the province have been instructed to actively promote important self-protection measures among students, such as wearing protective clothing like long sleeves and applying insect repellents, said the health official.
To further address the situation, Labrador said her office has initiated vector analysis to identify the factors contributing to the transmission of dengue.
A team from the epidemiological unit of the Center for Health and Development of the health department will be arriving to assist with this analysis, she added. (PNA)
