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MORE than 10,000 cases of dengue have been recorded
in the country this year, but the Department of Health said the
figure was an improvement over last year’s.
Health Secretary Francisco Dugue
3rd said, “We are bucking a trend, while our neighbors such as
Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Singapore have noted an
alarming increase in cases this year compare to last year.”
The DOH-National Epidemiology
Center has recorded a total of 10,106 dengue cases nationwide, 5.6
percent lower than the 10,711 recorded cases for the same period
last year.
The World Health Organization has
recently raised fears of a dengue epidemic in Asia as several Asian
countries have shown an alarming spike in the number of reported
cases and fatalities due to the disease.
In the Philippines the number of
fatalities from dengue fever recorded also showed a downtrend. This
year, 102, or 1.0 percent, died from dengue compared to 145 cases,
or a 1.4-percent mortality rate last year.
“We at the DOH would like to
think this decrease in fatalities is a result of intensified efforts
among all sectors to participate in a year-long campaign against
dengue,” said Duque.
Dengue is not a seasonal disease
but is a year-round disease, he said.
“People are also more aware of
the dangers,” he said. “Families are aware of the need to ensure
that the breeding grounds of the dengue mosquito are destroyed, and
they are also aware of the symptoms and the need for medical
attention if a loved one is suffering from dengue. This means less
cases and also that the cases reported are immediately given the
proper care to ensure they recover from the disease.”
Currently, Metro Manila has the
highest number of cases with 1,628 cases, or 16 percent, of all
cases nationwide. There have been ten deaths due to dengue recorded
in the NCR this year.
The NEC has noted and is
monitoring several areas with clusters of cases recorded: in Manila
the Parola compound; F. Varona-Tondo area; Tayabas-Santa Cruz;
Northbay Boulevard in Navotas; and the areas of Holy Spirit,
Novaliches, Payatas, Batasan Hill and Pagasa in Quezon City.
Southern Mindanao has 1,235, or
12 percent of all cases, with clustering noted in several barangay
units in Davao City: Barangay 15-B, 19-B, 2-A, 4-A, 40-B, 5-A, 76-A,
Bucana, Buhangin, Gravahan, Lanang, Ma-a, Matina, Mintal, Pampangana,
Sasa, Tibungco and Tigato; Davao del Sur: municipality of Santa
Cruz, Barangay Astorga. There have been four recorded fatalities.  --Katrice
R. Jalbuena
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