Increase in dengue cases alerts Abra LGUs

By Maria Teresa B. Benas

Sunday 8th of July 2012

BANGUED, Abra, July 8 (PIA) -- Local government units (LGUs) in the province have been alerted by the increase in the number of dengue cases in the first semester of this year.

Leila Bernal, the disease surveillance officer of the Abra Provincial Hospital, said 79 cases of dengue had been reported since January 1 to June 26. This represents a 12 percent increase compared to the same period last year.

Because of this, the municipal health officers called the attention of local chief executives (LCEs) to launch a massive campaign to eradicate dengue in their respective municipalities especially the cluster areas of Bangued, La Paz, Danglas, and Dolores, which posted the most cases.

The Municipal Epidemiology Surveillance Units (MESUs) also alerted the LCEs to launch the Aksyon Barangay Kontra Dengue (ABKD), an information education campaign to draw the participation of all community members to stop the spread of dengue.

Information campaigns were conducted in several municipalities participated by municipal and barangay officials, school heads, and barangay health workers (BHWs). They will mobilize the people in their local communities to participate in eradicating dengue-carrying mosquitoes.

As an initial output of the orientations on ABKD, the municipalities of Dolores, La Paz, Lagayan and Tayum have already set their schedule for their weekly simultaneous general cleaning in all the barangays in their respective towns.

In Bangued, Dr. Darby Madriaga, the municipal health officer, called the attention of the LGU to enforce the Anti-Dengue Ordinance of Bangued because of the 79 cases recorded in the province, 26 of which are posted in Bangued.

The ordinance encourages all able-bodied individuals to conduct cleaning activities every Saturday at 8 a.m. in their surroundings and houses, schools, offices, gardens, pools, business areas, canals, bushes, garbages, warehouses, plazas, backyards, patios, and everywhere which they believe are sources or breeding areas of dengue-carrying mosquitoes.

Meanwhile, Madriaga, who is also the medical consultant in Lagayan LGU, launched the ABKD campaign there on July 6; Lagayan had two dengue cases.

The local media is also helping by informing the public on the symptoms and how to combat dengue and other efforts undertaken to control dengue. (JDP/MTBB-PIA CAR, Abra)