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The Department of Health (DOH) on Wednesday warned
the public of a possible increase in the cases of certain
climate-sensitive diseases such as dengue, malaria, typhoid fever
and several cardio-respiratory diseases.
Health Secretary Francisco Duque
3rd said that over the past years, an increase in the cases of such
diseases had been observed as the global surface temperature
continued to climb.
In a press conference to observe
2008 World Health Day, Duque presented statistics showing that as
global temperature increased, the number of reported cases of
certain diseases also swelled.
In 1998, dengue fever cases were
at their highest, reaching more than 35,000 cases. The Health
department associates the 1998 dengue outbreak with the El Niño
phenomenon of the same year.
The Health department said
another possible dengue outbreak may happen this year, as there is a
notable rise in global temperatures.
This year from January 1 to March
8, the total number of dengue cases admitted to hospitals was 6,848
with 68 deaths. This represented a 16-percent increase in the number
of dengue cases as compared to the same period last year.
“As we face the ill-effects of
global warming, we can expect another dengue outbreak. Our
government, however, has already prepared for such [a] possible
outbreak,” Duque said.
In the case of malaria, the
Health department said “higher temperatures could probably
facilitate the transmission of said disease in humid areas.” There
was also an increase in malaria cases in 1998.
The Health department added that
the disruption of the climate can contribute to a significant rise
in water and food borne disease such as typhoid and cholera.
“There is a relationship
between climate change and human health but this connection is very
complex. We still need more research on this to be able to clearly
show their relation,” the Health secretary said.
However, Duque said the limited
evidence on the connection of global warming to the prevalence of
certain diseases “is not reason enough to defer action.”
To raise awareness of the public
towards climate change and its negative effects, the Department of
Education on Wednesday said they will incorporate lessons on the
issue in the elementary and high school curricula.
The order was contained in a
memorandum of agreement between the Education department, the
Presidential Task Force on Climate Change and the National Power
Corp. (Napocor).
“Our children will inherit the
earth from us. We must make sure that this inheritance is in great
shape for them to cherish,” Education Secretary Jesli Lapus said.
The Education department and the
task force, with funding from Napocor, will develop training modules
and lesson guides for public school teachers. The teachers will also
undergo training on the use of these modules.
A web portal is also planned to
provide students and teachers access to relevant information on
environmental issues around the globe.
“This joint initiative will
make our public school students realize that they have a vital role
to play in the fight against environmental degradation,” Lapuz
said.
Miriam College’s Public
Education and Awareness Campaign for the Environment and the Manila
Observatory of the Ateneo de Manila University will also take part
in the project.
--Rommel C. Lontayao, James Konstantin Galvez
and Justine M. Manuel
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