WITH the continuous rise of dengue cases, the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) is directing all of its chapters nationwide to actively engage in anti-dengue campaigns in communities.
PRC Chairman Richard Gordon stressed that the community can do something about the relentless increase of dengue cases.
“I would like to challenge all PRC chapters nationwide to come up with new and creative ways to engage communities in their anti-dengue campaigns,” he said.
Gordon also called on their youth members to do their part by going around schools, where some of the clustered cases have been found.
“Red Cross Youth Councils play a major role in initiating school-based activities like searching and destroying possible mosquito-breeding sites,” said Gordon.
The Department of Health (DOH) has been calling on the public to engage in active search and destroy method of mosquito-breeding sites, seeking self-protection and early treatment once they manifest dengue symptoms.
Records of the health department showed that there are some 40,648 dengue cases that were admitted to various hospitals nationwide from January 1 to July 31 this year.
The figure is a 48-percent increase from last year’s 27,473 cases recorded during the same period.
A total of 328 deaths were also recorded this year due to dengue, as opposed to the 293 deaths last year.
Last month, the PRC had also called on the public to support their blood donation drive in order to help save lives of dengue victims.
Dengue is an infection that causes a severe influenza-like illness with a deadly complication sometimes occurring called dengue hemorrhagic fever, which increases the tendency of vomiting blood or having bloody diarrhea.
If a dengue-inflicted person’s platelet level drops significantly below 20,000 or if there is significant bleeding, platelet and/or red blood cell transfusion is normally required. (AMN/Sunnex)