THE CITY Health Office’s (CHO) Tropical Disease Prevention and Control Division reported zero cases of Malaria since 2021.
CHO control division coordinator Melodina Babante said the city maintained its status after four years of being declared malaria-free.
Since the declaration, Paquibato and Marilog, which are tagged endemic districts, have not reported any malaria cases.
Babante attributed this to the continued preventive measures including prompt diagnosis, vector control, and information education in collaboration with the local government, health professionals, and down to the barangay level.
Blood mass survey is being conducted in these previously endemic districts and all barangays for active monitoring.
For the vector control, CHO is in constant coordination with the Department of Health to conduct vector mapping activity.
Barangays are told to establish their own mosquito-borne disease task force to help the CHO in the prevention and intervention of any mosquito-borne diseases.
As of January data, only 54 of the 182 barangays have an active and functional Mosquito-Borne Diseases Task Force (BMDTF). The task force is responsible for monitoring and surveillance of unattended mosquito breeding sites in the barangay to purok level.
The official said while this is true to the local transmissions, they are constantly in monitor and surveillance against imported malaria cases among Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) from Nigeria, Sudan, and Papua New Guinea.
As of April, one imported case was recorded, which is an OFW from Papua New Guinea.
In 2021, there was one imported case, two in 2023, three in 2024.
In an interview with Davao City Disaster Radio, Bababte said the OFW who were detected underwent treatment and were able to resume their employment.
Malaria symptoms include colds, chills, persistent fever, vomiting, headache, weakness, paleness, and stomach pain.
