Treñas calls for concerted effort in fight vs. dengue
To prevent Dengue outbreak, Mayor Jerry Treñas yesterday asked for the cooperation of different sectors including the Church and schools here. The number of dengue deaths already reached to 13, while West Visayas State University suspended classes starting yesterday following the increase in number of students experiencing symptoms of Dengue fever.
Treñas has called for the participation of the religious sector and schools aside from the Association of Barangay Captains here. He has reiterated his memorandum order to the 180 punong barangays in the city to implement clean-up activities especially in dengue-stricken barangays.
He also stressed the importance of proper information dissemination and clean-up activities in the fight against dengue. He wants a search and destroy scheme to get rid of the mosquito breeding places. Dengue is more dangerous when compared to A(H1N1), Treñas said. “There is no vaccine for dengue unlike with influenza A(H1N1).”
He said the people must do something to eradicate the spread of dengue-carrying mosquitoes. 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.
Proper information regarding Dengue would help the people initiate preventive measures like the importance of cleaning the surroundings and seeking immediate medical assistance as soon as the person manifest the symptoms of Dengue. Direct communication with the people is seen as effective channel in relaying the information to the people.
Earlier, the City Health Office designed an action plan dubbed “4S” in order to address the increasing number of dengue cases in the city. The 4S refers to: 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.
Treñas said he has sent letters to the different parishes here requesting the priests to include in their homilies the information on dengue and its corresponding preventive measures. He expects a positive response from Church since it would be a big help to its parishioners not to catch the virus from Aedes aegypti.
The mayor also sought the help of the Parents-Teachers Community Association (PTCA) for the campaign against dengue. Clean up activities must be implemented in the different schools. Elementary pupils are mostly the victims of Dengue.