Early consultations needed to halt rise of dengue cases--solon
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The threat of dengue fever remains a serious threat that shouldn't be ignored. For this reason, AnaKalusugan Party-list Rep. Ray Reyes stressed the importance of promoting early consultations to help curb the rising cases of dengue fever in the country. "Malaking bagay po ang proper health-seeking behavior gaya ng pagpunta sa pinakamalapit na health facility pag nakitaan na ng sintomas ng dengue. Napakaimportante po na ito ay maagapan bago pa ito lumala (Having the proper health-seeking behavior like going to the nearest health facility after contracting symptoms of dengue is important. It's important to address this immediately)," he said. The rookie lawmaker cited data from the Department of Health (DOH) which showed that the country recorded 51,323 dengue fever cases from Jan. 1 to May 20 this year. This was a 30 percent jump from the number of cases reported during the same period in 2022. Dengue is a mosquito-borne disease that can be fatal. Reyes, vice chairman of the House Committee on Health, said that many diseases like dengue can be easily managed if they are discovered at an early stage. "This is why we remain focused on providing healthcare access to every Filipino without incurring additional costs." The solon has filed in the 19th Congress House Bill (HB) No. 430, which seeks to provide free annual medical checkups for Filipinos. It aims to establish a program that provides citizens with free annual check-ups including, but not limited to, blood sugar and cholesterol tests. "Through free checkups and laboratory tests we will reduce hospitalization and improve the health of Filipinos against non-communicable or lifestyle diseases," Reyes said.