Dengue deaths reach 11
The Iloilo City Health Office (CHO) has recorded two more additional dengue deaths.
As of yesterday morning, the figure increased from nine to 11 deaths which prompted the chief executive to call for a meeting with the members of the dengue coordinators in order to stop more dengue deaths.
Mayor Jerry Treñas said he is set to meet with the dengue coordinators as he is greatly troubled with continuing increase of dengue fatalities here. There is a need to work double time, the mayor added, though dengue cases are “still manageable.”
“There should be no more dengue deaths in the city", Mayor Trenas said.
The mayor said the meeting is called for not because those involve in the campaign are not doing their part. The meeting will strengthen the action plan to stop the occurrence of more dengue deaths or victims. The fight against dengue needs the participation of all sectors. The business sector, church and school must help in the campaign against the spread of dengue.
He will meet with Dr. Mae Delmo, dengue coordinator of the city health office, sanitary inspectors, barangay health workers, Association of Barangay Captains, City Environment and Natural Resources Office among others to come up with a realistic and functional approach in the drive against dengue fever.
Earlier, the city health office has already designed an action plan dubbed “4S” in order to address the increasing number of dengue cases in the city. The 4S are search and destroy breeding places of mosquitoes, self-protection by wearing proper clothing, seek early consultation and say no to indiscriminate fogging.
Fogging is discouraged as it brings risks to individuals suffering from asthma while the CHO recommends the use of larvicidal in large open areas with water to kill the wrigglers of the dengue-carrying mosquitoes. The fogging operations for four consecutive weeks in areas considered as dengue hotspots is only suggested if necessary.
Most of the dengue cases were recorded during the onset of the rainy season. Stagnant water and dark places are the favorable places for the dengue carrying mosquitoes to procreate. Emptying of containers and cleaning of drainage are highly recommended to kill the wrigglers.
The city government has already embarked with different advocacies from barangay to barangay information campaign to media advocacy about the dreaded dengue. The city mayor has also called for the participation of the 180 punong barangays in the dengue campaign by conducting clean up activities particularly in barangays where there are confirmed dengue cases. However, the number of dengue cases continues to increase when compared in 2008.
The mayor said one of the factors that contributed on the increase in the number of cases is the early onset of rains. In the statistics of the health office, dengue cases swell in the months of June until September.