THE number of dengue deaths recorded in the country has increased from 89 to 152, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said Wednesday, July 17.
The NDRRMC said a total of 25,772 cases of dengue have been recorded in Western, Central and Eastern Visayas, as well as in Soccsksargen from January 1 to July 13.
Based on data from the four regions, the province with the highest number of dengue cases is Cebu with 5,935, followed by Iloilo with 5,327, Negros Occidental with 3,266, Capiz with 2,590 and Aklan with 2,095.
Cebu also topped the list of provinces with the most number of deaths due to dengue, with 36 deaths reported, followed by Negros Occidental with 23 and Iloilo with 20.
The NDRRMC said the Department of Health (DOH) has already coordinated with the agency for the activation of the health cluster. It has also been monitoring the cases in other regions in the country.
The DOH earlier declared a national dengue alert and issued an advisory on dengue preparedness and outbreak response due to the surge of dengue cases in the country.
DOH Secretary Fransisco Duque said there was an increase of 85 percent in the number of dengue cases from January 1 to June 29, as compared to the same period last year.
The DOH identified Mimaropa (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, and Palawan), Western Visayas, Central Visayas and Northern Mindanao with dengue alerts exceeding the epidemic threshold.
The Ilocos region, Cagayan Valley, Calabarzon, Bicol, Eastern Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula, Davao, Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, and the Cordillera Administrative Region have been identified as regions that have exceeded the alert threshold.
Meanwhile, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) has ordered local government units (LGUs) to conduct a clean-up drive to eliminate all mosquito-breeding areas and stop the spread of dengue virus.
The LGUs were also ordered to coordinate with DOH officials in their areas to identify the safe and effective ways to contain mosquito population.
“The alarming increase of dengue cases in several areas should prompt LGUs to act now and act fast in arresting the spread of dengue in their respective areas. We should not allow dengue to debilitate our communities,” DILG Secretary Eduardo Año said.
“We must increase our efforts in addressing the dengue infection especially during this rainy season when cases are expected to rise," he added.
Año also urged the public to help in cleaning their surroundings.
“Lahat tayo ay magtulong-tulong at kumilos na. Huwag nating iasa na lang sa gobyerno ang paglilinis at pagsisinop sa ating mga kapaligiran para maiwasan ang dengue (Let us all clean our surroundings. Don't just let rely on the government),” he said. (SunStar Philippines)