STOP DENGUE. The Iloilo Provincial Health Office collects mosquito larvae and identify new breeding sites in Barangay Odiongan in Badiangan, Iloilo, on June 13, 2024. The IPHO is calling on the support of communities and the activation of the Aksyon Barangay Kontra Dengue (ABKD) to stop the increasing number of cases in the province. (Photo courtesy of IPHO)
ILOILO CITY – The Iloilo Provincial Health Office (IPHO) calls on the support of communities and the activation of the Aksyon Barangay Kontra Dengue (ABKD) to stop the increasing number of cases in the province.
From Jan 1 to June 22, the province posted a total of 1,294 dengue cases, the highest in Western Visayas.
“In just one week, our cases reached 115, compared with 72 in the previous week,” said IPHO chief Dr. Maria Socorro Quiñon on Thursday.
The cases with five deaths are 79 percent higher compared with the same period last year.
Under the ABKD, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) mandates all barangay captains to activate their task forces and implement measures to prevent the spread.
The ABKD is the conduct of regular and synchronized clean-up drives to destroy breeding places of mosquitoes.
It also reinforces the 4S strategy (search and destroy breeding places, seek early consultation, seek early treatment, and support fogging/spraying).
What is good, however, is that the public is already seeking early consultation, she said.
Based on the IPHO data, of the 115 cases, 72 sought early treatment from government hospitals, 33 in rural health units, eight in private hospitals, and two from health facilities outside of Iloilo province.
She noted that not all cases are severe. Nevertheless, they have to seek medical consultation first.
“We have cases that can be placed under home management provided they first seek consultation, and there are those that can be managed in our health centers. Only those cases with warning signs like bleeding will be referred to hospitals,” she said.
The IPHO data showed that the cases are distributed in the province’s 43 local government units, with the town of Lambunao having the highest number of cases at 87 with one death.
Other deaths were recorded in Badiangan and Miagao towns, with two each.
A clustering of cases is recorded in one barangay of Ajuy, Banate, Passi City, Janiuay, Lambunao, Maasin, and Oton, while five are in Badiangan.
There is a clustering of cases when three or more cases are recorded within four consecutive weeks. (PNA)
