DAVAO City Council committee on health chair Councilor Mary Joselle Villafuerte is pushing for the creation of an inter-agency body for the prevention of mosquito-borne diseases in every barangay.
Villafuerte said on Tuesday during her privilege speech that she is lobbying for "An Ordinance Institutionalizing the Davao City Mosquito-Borne Diseases Prevention Program," which will ensure compliance with evidence-based good health practices and to encourage positive behavioral changes to prevent mosquito-borne diseases such as dengue.
The councilor said the ordinance will push all the 182 barangays in the city to organize their own barangay Mosquito-Borne Diseases Prevention Task Force, the creation of blood stations in the city, and to ensure ample supply of free dengue test kits.
She said the ordinance will also give clarification to the role of all hospitals, both private and public, in addressing and aiding the situation.
Villafuerte also said homeowners association will also be involved in the program.
"Another purpose is to penalize would be offenders who would endanger the health and lives of our residents, and in emergency situations to aid our city government to bring an outbreak under control," the councilor said.
The Department of Health (DOH)-Davao has recorded 2,168 dengue cases this year in Davao City with 11 deaths.
Villafuerte said acting mayor Sebastian "Baste" Duterte was alarmed with the rising number of dengue cases in the city.
"Last week, acting mayor Duterte called all 182 barangays to attend an orientation and training on prevention of the mosquito-borne disease, with 57 barangays identified as hotspot or communities with the highest dengue cases," she said, adding these barangays pledge to mobilize their communities to prevent the increase of dengue cases and deaths.
She said that a total of P7 million has been spent by the CHO and the DOH-Davao for the mosquito-borne disease prevention programs.
Villafuerte urged her colleagues to support her proposed ordinance, saying, "We should not wait for an outbreak to be declared."