IPHO bats for CHLEM vs. dengue

The Iloilo Provincial Health Office (IPHO) is pushing for a strategy to help prevent the spread of dengue fever that is not harmful to the environment and to the health of the public.

This strategy is called CHLEM that stands for Community mobilization and participation; Health education, IEC and advocacy; Legislation; Environmental Management; and Mosquito control.

Provincial Health Officer-in Charge Dr. Patricia Grace Trabado said that an informed and responsive community is the key in dengue prevention.

"The prevention relies heavily on how every household undertakes measures to prevent existing water collections from becoming places for breeding Aedes Aegypti , the transmitter of the disease which is a day-biting mosquito", said Trabado.

Trabado said mosquitoes should never be given the chance to breed and multiply. To prevent, maintain clean surroundings by unclogging roof gutters and draining water from flower vases, old tires, bottles, or any receptacle that can hold water that may serve as breeding places of mosquito vectors. Also, improve ventilation at home, get rid of those damp towels and dark places.

Trabado said fumigation or fogging operation which violates the Clean Air Act and is expensive and hazardous to health could be a last recourse.

Trabado is happy to note that the Department of Education (DepEd) is now giving more attention in the dengue prevention and control campaign. Recently, the Department Of Education has ordered all school officials to conduct cleanliness drive and prevent the spread of dengue.

DepEd issued Memo 227 dated August 9, 2005 reiterating and reinforcing DECS Memo No. 91 s 2001 to protect the school populace from this threatening disease. Also, Regional Directors were instructed to mobilize all school health and nutrition personnel to disseminate information on the prevention and control of Dengue H-Fever.

According to Trabado, statistics show that flower vases are the most favoured breeding places of dengue carrying mosquito. Thus, health officials said water in flower vases should be replaced every 7 days. The dengue-carrying mosquitoes breed in clean and stagnant water.

As a national health concern, President Arroyo has ordered the Department of Health and local governments to prioritize the implementation of preventive measures against dengue.

From January 1 to August 6 this year, the IPHO has recorded a total of 212 cases with one death from the municipality of San Joaquin. During this period, the top five municipalities with most number of cases are Pavia with 25, followed by Oton with 24, Btac. Viejo, 17, Tigbauan, 16 and San Joaquin 14.

Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever is an acute infectious viral disease usually affecting infants and young children. It is characterized by fever during the initial phase and other symptoms like joint and muscle pain and pain behind the eyes, weakness, skin rashes, nosebleeding when fever starts to subside, vomiting of coffee-colored matter and dark colored stools. (PIA)