WV dengue cases increase by 170%
The Department of Health-Center for Health Development 6 has recorded of 7,605 dengue cases from its various reporting units all over Western Visayas as of yesterday.
Dr. Marlyn Convocar, assistant regional director, said the cases increased by 170 percent increase compared to the 2,873 cases for the same period last year.
She said, however, the number of deaths at 49 is not alarming because the same number was also reported last year.
Iloilo province has the highest cases with 2,040 with 10 deaths; Negros Occidental, 1,908 cases, 16 casualties; and Capiz, 1,849 cases, 14 deaths.
Meanwhile, Aklan has 342 cases with two casualties; Antique with 131 cases with one death; Iloilo City, 442 with four casualties; Bacolod City, 773 and two deaths; while Guimaras province has no casualty out of its 125 cases.
The data were taken from the DOH-CHD’s 29 reporting units.
Nonetheless, she mentioned that there has been a downward trend starting with their monitoring two weeks ago.
However, she warned the public to avoid being complacent and instead make their clean up drive a habit to deprive dengue-carrying mosquitoes of breeding places.
CLEAN-UP DRIVE
In Iloilo, Gov. Arthur Defensor said the provincial government will launch the “People Power Kontra Dengue” on September 1.
The activity is a simultaneous provincial wide clean-up drive to eliminate breeding places of dengue-carrying mosquitoes.
Defensor called on all government employees, including municipal workers, barangay officials, health workers, and students to participate in the clean-up.
“This is for the benefit of everyone,” he said.
The governor said community involvement is the best tool to contain the increasing number of dengue cases and casualties in the province.
WHO ASSISTANCE
Defensor said a group from the World Health Organization (WHO) met with him yesterday.
“They are here to assist us in terms of ideas and expertise on dengue matter,” he said.
But the group has not pledged any financial assistance to the provincial government.
“We have not asked anything from them. If they want to help us, we are welcoming them,” he said.
The WHO team is visiting the Iloilo Provincial Hospital in Pototan town.*
