Mayor seeks help vs schistosomiasis

THE mayor of Dolores in Eastern Samar has renewed her call for help to address health problem in her hometown.

Schistosomiasis, a disease caused by parasitic worms, had been affecting her town, especially the hinter villages of Dolores, for several years now.

Dolores is one of the 11 municipalities in the province with high cases of schistosomias.

“This had affected numbers of residents in my town and we need to provide solution to this because it does not only affect their health but including the source of their livelihood,” said Mayor Emiliana Villacarillo.

Most of affected barangays in Dolores town with schistosomiasis are those identified as agricultural land, mostly rice lands.

“We are the rice granary of Eastern Samar and if this problem is not solved, this will affect the rice production of my town and the rice sufficiency of the province,” Villacarillo stressed.

The lady mayor added that proper education on sanitation and hygiene should be taught and observed by her residents to ensure that this disease will not spread.

According to the lady mayor, another cause for the spread of schistosomiasis bacteria is farm animals.

Villacarillo calls for help from the health agency in order to make her town free from Schistosomiasis.

Inter-local Health Zone designated officer Elvira Igat, when asked for the update on their campaign to eradicate schistosomiasis in the town, said that among the intervention they are doing is the mass drug treatment among infected residents.

The problem in their previous mass treatment was some residents were not supportive to the campaign as they feel discomfort after taking the medicine because some of them were not able to eat first before taking their medicine.

To address this, Igat said the Municipal Government of Dolores had allocated fund for foods to schistosomiasis patient before they take their medicines.

She added that for some of the patients who continuous to defy taking medicine and were beneficiaries of 4Ps program of the government.

Their cash allowances are deducted, or they do not release the money to 4Ps beneficiary if they don’t take medicine first.

She said the schistosomiasis problem should be addressed immediately in Dolores as it does not only affect farmers but also residents in the town proper and those from island barangays.

“People should learn how to use sanitary toilets,” said Igat. “But the problem is when the rainy season comes, flood washes out their sanitary toilets which causes for the continuous spread of the schistosomiasis bacteria.”

The ILHZ officer added that other government agencies aside from the DOH and the local government units should help in addressing the problem on schistosomiasis. (Leyte Samar Daily Express)