HEALTH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire clarified that only specific areas and provinces have been affected by the spike in dengue cases and not the entire four regions — Zamboanga Peninsula, Cagayan Valley, Western Visayas, and Davao regions.
In an online media forum, Vergeire said “Dun sa Zamboanga City, dun natin nakita lumagpas sa epidemic threshold ‘yung bilang ng mga kaso (In Zamboanga City, the number of cases exceeded the epidemic threshold). That’s why the local government declared an outbreak,” she said.
Nonetheless, the weekly reported cases in 2022 were still significantly lower than “the cases we had in 2021 nationally.”
“Nag-uulan na po so kailangan na masusing linisin ang mga backyard natin, ang ating mga tahanan, public spaces para mawala itong aedes aegypti o ‘yung lamok na nakaka-cause ng dengue (It has been raining in the past days so we need to thoroughly clean our backyards, houses, and public spaces to get rid of the breeding grounds of aedes aegypti or the mosquito that causes dengue),” she said.
To assist dengue patients, the Department of Health has activated the Fast Lanes in hospitals, prepositioned logistical for the needs of regional and local government, such as the chemicals used to prevent the spread of these mosquitos, and advised local government units about the 4S strategy.
The 4S strategy refers to search and destroy mosquito-breeding sites; self-protection measures; seek early consultation of symptoms; and support spraying or fogging to prevent further outbreaks.
