- Dengue deaths and cases continue to rise in the city
THE CITY Health Office raised alarm on dengue cases after recording 28 deaths and 1,506 cases from January to August this year against the 13 deaths and 1,052 cases for the same period in 2022.
During the weekly iSpeak forum on Aug. 24, Melodina Babante, CHO-Tropical Diseases Prevention and Control Unit head, said they continuously collaborate with barangay officials and other agencies.
The primary aim is to establish and strengthen the Mosquito-borne Disease Task Force and target breeding grounds of these dengue-carrying insects.
“Nakita namo nga kana nga lakang sa mga barangays, naa man sila’y kaso sa dengue pero gamay ra, compared sa mga wala’y Mosquito Borne Disease Task Force. Dako ang impact na nahimo niini sa ilang barangay, kay dali ra nila ma-aksyonan (We observed that barangays who have these task force had reduced dengue cases compared to those who don’t. The task force has a great impact in their barangays as they could easily response to cases),” Babante said.
She said Talomo Poblacion, Catalunan Pequeño, Catalunan Grande, and Barangay 19-B for the first district, Bunawan, Tibungco, Lasang, and Ilang for the second district, and Lizada (Toril), Calinan Poblacion, Toril Poblacion, Daliao, Tacunan, Mintal, Sto. Niño, Relocation, and Tugbok for the third district had the highest number of dengue cases.
Children aged 4-7 years old were counted among the 28 confirmed cases.
Babante cited that “late referrals of the sickness, refusal of admission due to the financial instability of required swab tests for hospitals, and lack of awareness” contribute to why some cases ended up fatal.
She also listed possible reasons for rising dengue cases, including climate change, improper segregation of wastes that could provide food for mosquito larvae, high-rise construction of buildings that leave waste containers and could also be a potential location for egg-laying mosquitoes, and lack of awareness.
