DAVAO City has recorded 937 dengue cases with five deaths as of June 15 this year.
Based on the comparative data of the City Health Office (CHO), there were 14 deaths out of 665 cases reported in June last year.
CHO Tropical Disease and Control Division Test Control worker Melodina Babante said four of the five people who died this year have ages five to nine years old, while the other one is a 76-year-old male.
But Babante said that only three of these reported deaths have been confirmed. The other two cases are still under validation.
She said the identified dengue hotspots in Davao City are barangays Cabantian in Buhangin, Matina Crossing, Catalunan Grande, Wilfredo and Lapu-Lapu in Agdao, Toril, and Marilog.
"Among mga gina-consider na hotspots area are those nga dako ang area sa ila barangay, hilabi na nga daghan tao gapuyo. Siguro ma-consider nato kana tungod sa kadaghan sa tawo, congested na ang mga balay, dili pareha sa una kay di pa kaayo daghan ang gapuyo labi na sa Buhangin and Cabantian area (We consider these areas as hotspots due to the large area of the barangay especially since many people are residing there. I think we would also consider the fact that due to the large population, houses are already congested unlike before)," Babante said during Thursday's (June 27) iSpeak media forum at the City Hall of Davao.
The health officer also noted that dengue is not only rampant during the rainy season as compared in the past. Climate change has allowed the sickness to go rampant during other seasons.
Babante, meanwhile, said her unit is exerting efforts to destroy all breeding spots of mosquitoes especially in hotspot areas.
She said the CHO, in partnership with the City Environment and Natural Resources Office (Cenro) and Ancillary Services Unit (ASU), is conducting clean-up drives in almost all barangays in the city, but stressed that the public's lack of concern for a clean environment remains to be an existing problem.
"Habang gahinlo mi, ang residente gatan-aw lang sa amua, gina-ingnan pa mi 'Naa pa diria among basura, oh'. Di man pud mi pwede masuko kay naa man ta sa government. Public servant man ta (While we were conducting the clean-up drive, the residents did not do anything but just stare at us. One resident even told us 'There's still garbage in this spot.' We cannot air our frustration since we are working in the government as public servants)," Babante said.
She said the CHO still continues to intensify its information campaign to reduce the dengue cases and mortalities.