Local governments pay extra to curb dengue

CEBU CITY -- Talisay City’s lawmakers agreed this week to spend P1 million to prevent dengue fever and assist victims, the third Metro Cebu city to ramp up spending to fight the disease.

Before the Talisay City Council approved the appropriation last Friday, the City Health Office reported 137 dengue fever cases and three deaths, all children, from January to August this year.

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The Cebu City Council recently appropriated P10 million for its anti-dengue program, while Mandaue City agreed to set aside P1.5 million.

The Cebu Provincial Board (PB) requested officials of the Department of Health (DOH) to attend Monday’s session, to discuss what measures have been taken to arrest the rise in dengue fever. PB Member Arleigh Sitoy made the request.

PB Members Agnes Magpale and Sergio Restauro, in a separate resolution, urged all towns and cities to make specific plans to fight dengue fever.

From January to Aug. 21 this year, a total of 62,503 persons nationwide have fallen ill with dengue fever, DOH records show. This is 88 percent higher than figures for the same period last year.

In Central Visayas, 5,056 cases have been reported as of Aug. 28, about 25 percent higher than figures for the same period in 2009.

Net

The DOH in Central Visayas will distribute treated mosquito nets to Grade 3 pupils in certain schools. These nets are treated with permethrin, a chemical usually used as an insect repellent.

According to DOH Central Visayas Director Susana Madarieta, using these nets to combat dengue fever is a safer way than fogging.

Earlier, Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia ordered misting operations in every town, starting in the north. She also asked the DOH for an alternative to misting, so the Capitol can adopt it, after she was informed the DOH discouraged it.

The governor also tasked Restauro, chairman of the PB health committee, to lead the task force against dengue fever.

The continued occurrence of dengue outbreaks in the country indicates the people’s poor environmental awareness, Sen. Loren Legarda said Saturday.

Barangays

“It is important that we clean our environment -- ensure there is no stagnant water in our old bottles, cans and tires -- because dengue does not distinguish between rich or poor, city or rural,” she told reporters.

Legarda, who attended the 16th anniversary celebration of the National Confederation of Barangay Health Workers of the Philippines Inc. in Cebu City, said dengue outbreaks in some parts of the country should serve as reminders of the importance of cleanliness.

Legarda also stressed the need to strictly implement the Clean Water Act and Ecological Solid Waste Management Act.

Earlier this week, Health Undersecretary David Lozada said children six to 10 years old were most vulnerable to dengue fever, based on this year’s records.

He asked the BHWs to launch stronger campaigns against dengue fever, emphasizing sanitation in communities.

Madarieta has said an outbreak could be declared in Central Visayas soon if dengue cases are uncontrolled, especially since the region is located between Regions 6 (Western Visayas) and 8 (Eastern Visayas), which have been severely affected by dengue.

Some of the symptoms of dengue are high fever, severe headache, backache, joint pains, nausea and vomiting, eye pain and rash.

Talisay City’s appropriation of P1 million to deal with dengue fever forms part of the P8.2 million it approved for pre-disaster preparedness, during its special session last Friday.

Calamity

The budget is chargeable to the calamity fund.

Some P3.5 million will pay for the repair of the city’s heavy equipment like the road roller, grader and payloader. These can then be used to declog rivers or creeks and clear roadblocks caused by landslides.

Also included is an appropriation of P500,000 for the construction of a drainage system in Barangay Pooc.

The approved budget also earmarked some P35,000 as financial aid to landslide victims in Barangay Jaclupan and the families in Sitio Tigib, Barangay Lagtang, whose houses were destroyed by falling boulders two weeks ago.

Vice Mayor Alan Bucao, the presiding officer, said the city still has P10 million in its calamity funds to be used for disaster relief and operations within the year.

The calamity fund is five percent of the P427-million budget this year. (RSB/RSA/GC/Sun.Star Cebu)