Apayao heats up drive against dreaded dengue

LUNA, Apayao—Provincial constituents were urged to support province-wide drive agaisnt dengue and other diseases.

Gov. Eleanor Bulut-Begtang has directed a “province wide implementation of control and preventive measures against dengue and other vector-borne diseases as a component of the Local Environment Actions for Heath Programs of the province of Apayao” or Project LEAH thru Executive Order No. 64 series of 2019.

Begtang directed all the local government units, public and private hospitals, educational institutions from primary to tertiary level, government and non-government organizations, households and members of the private sector to conduct activities to ensure that dengue would be prevented. They  should employ the enhanced 4-S strategy as a control and preventive strategy, The “4S” campaign against Dengue includes Search and Destroy, Self –protection, Seek early consultation, and Support spraying/fogging in the community if there is an increasing cases or impending outbreak.

 “All the stakeholders are encouraged to strictly participate with and implement a massive clean up drive including operation “taob” and “yugyug” of all receptacles and breeding areas and foliage to ensure that breeding sites of mosquitos are destroyed,” Begtang stated.

The provincial government also revived the “4 o’clock Habit “to be observed and executed by all stakeholders particularly in government offices, classrooms and school premises and even at the households.

 In a recent report of the DOH-Cordillera, Apayao remains to have the highest number of dengue cases in the region with 819 cases from January to August 10, 2019. 

For the rest of the provinces, Abra have 693 dengue cases, Baguio City with 384 cases, Benguet with 778, Ifugao with 478, Kalinga with 573, Mountain Province with 334 and non-CAR cases with 645.

 Benguet recorded the highest number of death with 4 cases with one each from Baguio City, Kalinga and Mountain Province and two from non-CAR cases.

 Recently, the Cordillera Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (CDRRMC) called for convergence in the conduct of a regionwide clean–up drive of dengue mosquito sites in support to the Department of Health’s declaration of National Dengue Epidemic.

 CRDRRMC Chair and Office of Civil Defense – Cordillera Regional Director Albert Mogol, in a memorandum enjoined all council member agencies and local DRRM councils to actively participate in the DOH’s nationwide campaign for simultaneous search and destroy of mosquito breeding sites.

 The CRDRRMC also called for community support in cleaning up their surroundings highlighting the importance of convergence in ensuring a disaster-resilient and healthy Cordillera. (JDP/RMC- PIA CAR)