(Visual courtesy of Davao CIO)
DAVAO CITY – The City Health Office (CHO) boosted its anti-dengue campaign by capacitating various barangays in recognition of National Dengue Awareness Month.
In an interview on Tuesday, Dr. Margie Roa Rubio, the CHO assistant health officer for operations, said the fight against dengue and other mosquito-borne diseases must be anchored on community effort and ensuring cleanliness.
Although CHO reported a 27 percent drop in dengue cases from January to June this year compared to the same period last year, it has again reminded the communities to be more proactive in cleaning out possible mosquito breeding grounds this rainy season.
Over the weekend, Rubio said around 300 residents from the 34 barangays who are members of their respective Mosquito-Borne Diseases Task Force (MBDTF) joined the massive information dissemination activity in the communities.
“Other stakeholders from local and national health and research institutions also joined. The academic institutions presented their studies that are relevant to the situation of the mosquito-borne disease in the city,” she said.
Barangay Buhangin Proper’s Task Force, one of the best-performing MBDTFs in the city, also presented its good practices and accomplishments to village constituents.
Rubio said establishing a task force in each barangay is crucial in preventing another dengue outbreak in the city.
Marites Jandug, Barangay Buhangin Proper purok leader, said she and her fellow MBDTF members have learned a lot from the seminars and lectures from CHO's anti-dengue campaign.
“We urged our residents to maintain the cleanliness of their surroundings. Once in a while, we also have our cleanup drives,” she said. (PNA)
