Cebu City gears up for typhoid, dengue
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Cebu City government recently launched the War Against Dengue with Mayor Michael Rama issuing an Executive Order (EO) to combat the disease, but the city is also preparing against any other diseases that may threaten the health of its residents.
The mayor is aware of the typhoid fever outbreak in a town in the southern part of Cebu, Barili, where at least 98 cases of the deadly disease have been reported with three deaths.
Although no such illness has been reported in Cebu City yet, Rama said that preventive measures should already be put in place to avoid even a single case.
Typhoid, which is caused by the bacteria, Salmonella Typhi, is a disease that spreads through contaminated food and water. Water that has septage contamination is at high risk of spreading the bacteria.
“Ang pinaka-importante ako na ipatan-aw, I will be calling Jeffrey Ibones and Sonia Empinado that will be part of the convergence,” said Mayor Rama.
The mayor said that while these diseases are not yet in Cebu City, it is important the city is ready in case an outbreak occurs.
Part of the preventive measure against typhoid is already part of the ‘Denguerra Order’ of the mayor, which states that households must be proactive in cleaning their surroundings.
The order also forms the barangay task force to lead the search and destroy, request for misting in areas with a high number of dengue cases and ensure a fast response from the City Health Department.
Rama said he has instructed the CHD to be on high alert not only for dengue but for other diseases as well.
With the new chief of the Cebu City Medical Center, Doctor Mary Jean Loreche, taking over starting today, the mayor said the city is ready to respond to any disease outbreaks that come with the rainy season.
/bmjo
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