The Cebu City government will deploy Barangay Health Workers every 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. to help implement anti-dengue initiatives in the barangay such as misting and curtain impregnation. This 2020 photo shows misting in Barangay Inayawan in Cebu City | FILE PHOTO (Kirk Bryan Repollo)
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Cebu City Health Department (CCHD) urges the public to cooperate in anti-dengue campaigns and strategies as dengue cases in Cebu City from January 1 to June 3, 2022 almost tripled the number of cases recorded in the entire 2021.
Dr. Jeffrey Ibones, who heads the CCHD, said that after harmonizing their data with that of the Department of Health in Central Visayas (DOH-7), Cebu City’s number of dengue cases from the first half of this year is 946. This is about 270 percent higher than the 256 dengue cases logged in the whole year of 2021.
“Kung imo i-compare last year, lahi jud kaayo kay naa may lockdown ato,” he said, noting that most of the people last year were just staying in their homes thereby giving them more time to clean their house and surrounding areas.
(If you compare it with last year, it’s very different because at that time there was a lockdown.)
Dengue, as defined by the World Health Organization, is a viral infection transmitted through humans through the bite of infected mosquitoes.
Ibones said one factor on the increase of dengue cases this year was the past calamities or typhoons from late 2021 and early 2022, including Typhoon Odette that hit Cebu and other parts of Visayas and Mindanao.
He said the city government had already implemented measures to curb the increasing dengue cases in the city, including the deployment of Barangay Health Workers (BHWs) every 3 p.m. to 5 p.m to various sitios in every barangay to help in various anti-dengue activities including misting, curtain impregnation, and larvicidal activities.
“Tan-awon to nila ang mga reservoir sa tubig labi na ang mga aircon sa balay, flower vase labi na kay hilig ug tanom ang mga tawo karon, ang atoang refrigerators dispensers, and even gani tansan lang masudlan tubig pwede na sya puy-an, mao ng importante kaayo nga manglimpyo ta” he told CDN Digital.
(They will look at the water reservoir especially the air con in houses, flower base especially now that people are into plants, our refrigerators’ dispensers, and even a crown cap which can hold water that can be where mosquitoes can leave, that is why it is so important to clean [the surroundings].)
He also appealed to barangay officials to help inspect vulcanizing shops to ensure that there are no discarded tires filled with rainwaters which can be a breeding ground for dengue-carrying mosquitoes.
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