BAGUIO CITY – The City Epidemiology Surveillance Unit of the City Health Services Office reported 416 dengue cases with five deaths from Jan. 1 to July 17 this year.
City Epidemiologist Dr. Donnabel Panes said this is a three-fold increase from last year's 103 cases. “Clustering of cases has been noted in 19 barangays.” Panes said the mushrooming cases of dengue fever in the city have added strain to the city's health care system already battered by the COVID-19 pandemic.
"We have lots of challenges ahead because as we continue to have COVID-19 cases amid the looming threat of the more harmful variants, we are also faced with increasing cases of dengue which is taking toll on our hospital care system," she said.
"We need to significantly reduce our dengue cases in preparation for the Delta variant. We are definitely going to get hit. It is just a matter of time," she added.
The City Health Service Office had requested the Department of Health (DOH) for funding to augment the city's supplies to fight the mosquito-borne disease.
City Health Officer Dr. Rowena Galpo urged the barangays and residents to double their efforts in fighting dengue.
Galpo said they have begun mobilizing barangays to conduct inspection and elimination of mosquito breeding places.
They will also intensify the information education communication (IEC) campaign on 4S strategy in Dengue Prevention and Control: Search and destroy mosquito breeding places; self-protection measures (use window screens, mosquito nets, wear protective clothing, and use insect repellents); seek early consultation; and say no to indiscriminate fogging.