Press Release
June 10, 2018

NANCY TO DOH, DEPED, LGUs: INTENSIFY DENGUE INFO DRIVE, CLEANUP IN SCHOOLS
...says poor sanitation, garbage disposal attributable to dengue spike

With the onset of the rainy season, Senator Nancy Binay today urged authorities to intensify information and cleanup drives to prevent rainy season diseases, particularly dengue fever.

The senator expressed alarm over reports in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) that dengue fever cases drastically increased by 87% in the first 17 weeks of 2018.

"Nakakabahala po na almost close to 100% ang itinaas ng dengue fever cases sa Cordillera mula Enero hanggang Mayo ng taong ito, according to the DOH. Pagtulungan po ng health at education departments ang pagpapakalat ng tama at napapanahong impormasyon upang ma-educate ang lahat tungkol sa dengue at kung paano maiiwasan ito, lalo na sa mga paaralan," Binay said.

The Department of Health-Cordillera (DOH-CAR) reported that out of the total number of dengue cases recorded in the region this year, 266 (29.5%) came from Kalinga; 195 (21.6%) from Benguet; 104 (11.5%) from Baguio City; 76 (8.4%) from Apayao; 67 (7.4%) from Abra; 24 (2.7%) each from Ifugao and Mountain Province; and 147 cases (16.7%) from non-CAR provinces.

Binay said that possible dengue outbreaks and spikes in cases can be attributed to poor sanitation, improper waste management, and unhygienic surroundings.

The senator also called on the mobilization of local authorities, the AFP reserve force, and the DPWH to help in cleanup drives, especially in school grounds.

"Mas maraming pwedeng makagat ang dengue fever carrying mosquitoes sa mga paaralan kaya't pagtuunan po natin ng pansin ang kalinisan nito, kaya i-check po natin ang posibleng breeding ground ng mga lamok tulad ng di dumadaloy na tubig," Binay said.

"Pagtuunan din po natin ng pansin ang mga drainage systems; water storage, catchments at impounding facilities; at flood-prone areas," she added.

Binay said that it is alarming that spikes in dengue fever cases in certain regions are also happening.

"Prevention is always the better option, so authorities must act immediately to stop or minimize the impact of rainy season diseases, particularly possible outbreaks of dengue fever," the senator added.

Binay said that authorities should seriously take a look at the steps to prevent dengue fever, as the country and the rest of the ASEAN commemorates June 15 as Association of South East Asian Nations Dengue Day.

"Meron pong "4S" prevention measures ang DOH laban sa dengue fever. Pagtuunan po sana natin ng pansin ang mga prevention measures dahil mas mura ito, kumpara sa gamutan pag meron ng sakit," Binay said.

The 4S stands for search and destroy, self-protection measures, seek early consultation and say no to indiscriminate fogging.

"Authorities should ensure that we minimize or even stop this disease from spreading," she added.

A total of 131,827 dengue cases including 732 deaths were reported in the country from January 1 to December 2, 2017, data from the DOH and WHO said. The number is 36.9% lower than that for the same period in 2016 or 208,805 cases, according to the same report.

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