Malaria cases down in Cordillera Region

BAGUIO CITY - - Malaria cases have drastically gone down in the Cordillera the past few years.

Department of Health- Cordillera regional office entomologist II Ursula Segundo bared this saying malaria cases continue to  go down  and for this year no indigenous or local transmission of cases has been recorded by the DOH.

In 2012, seven malaria cases (three from Apayao and four from Kalinga) were recorded in  the region.

Segundo also reported that Baguio City and Benguet have long been declared as malaria-free.

Abra is also set to attain the same if no cases will be recorded in the province until the end of this year.

A province or city is declared as malaria-free if there are no recorded indigenous cases in the area for at least five consecutive years.

For Ifugao and Mountain Province, she also disclosed  that there were no indigenous malaria cases recorded cases since 2012 and 2011, respectively.

Segundo said malaria can be fatal but preventable as  she reiterated the health department’s call for a stronger partnership among all sectors  especially among local government units in malaria elimination efforts.

Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease that is commonly transmitted by a bite from an infected female Anopheles mosquito.

The disease causes symptoms which usually include fever and headache.

It can be transferred from an afflicted person to another or by an afflicted person from one area to another, if not properly monitored, diagnosed and treated.

Infants and pregnant women are the most vulnerable groups, she said.

For protection, she advised use of mosquito nets.

            

This November, the DOH, in line with the government's goal of malaria-free Philippines by 2020, headed observance of Malaria Awareness Week to gain countrywide support and spread the knowledge that malaria, through fatal, is preventable.