Dr. Robert Alcantara, action officer of the City Health Office, said Thursday the drop in dengue cases can be attributed to the continuous awareness campaign of the Department of Health (DOH) as well as active participation of village officials in maintaining cleanliness in their respective areas.
"We cannot be complacent especially when we are really looking towards eliminating dengue out in city," Alcantara said.
The recent health advisory from the DOH reminds the public to practice the "4-S Kontra Dengue" steps to protect oneself from dengue.
The "4-S" stands for Search and Destroy (breeding places of mosquitoes carrying the dengue virus), Self-Protection Measures (application of mosquito repellant), Seek Early Consultations (consulting the doctor when symptoms like fever with skin rashes appear) and Say No to Indiscriminate Fogging as fogging is only applicable if and when there is a dengue outbreak.
Alcantara said dengue prone areas in Davao City include the Talomo, Sasa, and Buhangin districts, thus residents of the these areas should be doubly cautious and avoid storing clean water without covers as well constantly clean open canals and other areas with stagnant water.
