THE Department of Health (DOH) in Cordillera confirmed that the region is nearly approaching the alert status for dengue cases following the national dengue alert issued by the DOH Central Office on July 15.
Dr. Amelita Pangilinan, OIC regional director of DOH-Cordillera, assured that despite the situation, the regional health department has intensified anti-dengue programs.
“We have intensified our surveillance down to the barangay level and we would want the public to practice the 4S on dengue,” Pangilinan said.
In its January to June 2019 medical update, the DOH-Cordillera recorded 2,025 dengue cases in the region with four deaths.
As of July 13, the DOH recorded a 35 percent increase in the number of dengue cases in the Cordillera.
“The 4S strategy, which we want the public to observe to prevent dengue, consists of Search and destroy mosquito breeding places, Self-protective measures like wearing long sleeves and use of insect repellent, Seek early consultation on the first signs and symptoms of the disease and Say yes to fogging if there is an impending outbreak,” Pangilinan said.
The health department identified Mimaropa, Western Visayas, Central Visayas, and Northern Mindanao as regions that have exceeded the epidemic threshold, while the regions that have exceeded the alert threshold are Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, Calabarzon, Bicol, Eastern Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula, Davao, and Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.
The epidemic threshold is the critical number of cases required for an epidemic to be declared. The alert threshold, meanwhile, is the number of cases that sounds an early warning for a potential epidemic.
The epidemic and alert thresholds for dengue in the country vary from region to region, as computations take into account localized incidences of the disease within the last three to five years.
Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said on July 15 that 106,630 dengue cases had been reported from January 1 to June 29, and this is 85 percent more than the 57,564 cases reported from the same period in 2018.