Friday, June 08, 2007
DOH urges practice of 4 o'clock habit v. dengue
*As of May 2007, the record of DOH 6 showed that there are already 508 reported cases of dengue in the region.
THE Department of Health (DOH)in Western Visayas urged anew the public to diligently practice the Four-o'clock Habit ("4 o'clock habit") to prevent and control the dreaded dengue fever with the onset of the rainy season and the subsequent increase in the number of dengue cases in the community.
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The "4 o'clock habit" is an initiative of the Philippine government that requests residents to practice the cleaning of their surroundings and draining water containers to prevent the spread of dengue carrier mosquitoes, in support of the Dengue Control Program as well as Malaria Control Program.
As of May 2007, the record of DOH showed there are already 508 reported cases of dengue in the region.
The DOH figures also showed a total of 1,820 dengue cases were reported by its various sentinel sites/health facilities in the region last year.
According to the DOH the diagnosis of the disease was based on the signs and symptoms manifested by the patients such as sudden onset of high fever which may last for seven days, joint and muscle pain, pain behind the eyes, weakness, skin rashes, nose-bleeding when fever starts to subside, abdominal pain, vomiting of coffee-colored vomits and passage of dark-colored stools.
June is observed as Dengue Awareness Month in the country. This year, it carries the theme, "Puksain ang Kiti-Kiti, Sugpuin ang Dengue" that clearly demonstrates the need for the elimination/destruction of breeding places of Aedes mosquitoes, the carrier of the dengue virus which causes the infection.
Also, as part of the 4 o' clock habit, the DOH suggests to practice the following: clean water containers once a week, cover water containers to prevent mosquitoes from breeding, replace water in flower vases once a week, clean gutters, puncture or cut old tires used as roof support, and collect and dispose unusable tins, cans, bottles or other items that can hold water.(PIA)For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Davao. (June 8, 2007 issue)
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