The Department of Health (DOH) on Thursday, Nov. 7, noted a decline in dengue cases nationwide.
As of October 2024, the DOH reported a total of 314,785 dengue cases nationwide.
“Cases are declining overall, showing an 8% decrease from September 29 to October 12, 2024, with 21,097 cases reported compared to 23,032 cases reported from September 15 to 28, 2024,” the DOH said in a statement.
“All regions nationwide did not register an increase during this period, except for the National Capital Region (from 2,765 cases to 3,002 cases), Central Luzon (from 2,219 cases to 2,351 cases), and CALABARZON (from 2,907 cases to 3,513 cases),” the DOH added.
Fewer deaths
“Nakikita sa ating datos na patuloy na bumababa ang kaso ng mga namamatay dahil sa dengue (Our data shows that the number of deaths due to dengue continues to decrease),” said DOH Secretary Teodoro Herbosa.
DOH data showed that for every one hundred Filipinos diagnosed with dengue, the number of deaths "decreased" this year compared to last year.
“A lower Case Fatality Rate (CFR) of 0.26% has been observed as of October 26, 2024, compared to last year’s CFR of 0.34% for the same period of monitoring,” the DOH noted.
“This is likely attributed to better health-seeking practices and improved healthcare delivery,” the agency added.
While the DOH has recorded fewer deaths due to dengue, Herbosa reminded the public to remain alert.
“Hindi dapat tayo maging kampante dahil patuloy ang pag-ulan sa panahong ito (We should not be complacent because the rains continue during this period),” he said.
The DOH also noted that the rainy season is likely to have increased the number of breeding grounds for mosquitoes due to the accumulation of stagnant water in some regions.
Despite this, the DOH assured the public that hospitals are well-prepared to manage cases effectively.
This is in addition to the conduct of hospital orientations on Dengue Clinical Practice Guidelines to ensure hospitals and staff are well-equipped.
“Ang ugnayan ng DOH at mga lokal na pamahalaan ay mahalaga para masigurong napananatili sa mga komunidad ang mga paraan para mapuksa ang dengue (The partnership between the DOH and local governments is crucial to ensure that measures to eliminate dengue are maintained in the communities),” Herbosa said.
The DOH said it maintains close collaboration with Local Government Units (LGUs) for prevention and testing initiatives against dengue.
These include ensuring that mosquito breeding grounds are destroyed, reminding the population to cover more of their skin and use mosquito repellents, and ensuring cases are detected earlier and managed better.
In hotspot areas, the DOH said it also provides diagnostic kits and insecticides, in addition to supportive supervision.
Herbosa also reminded the public to regularly clean their surroundings to prevent the accumulation of water where mosquitoes breed.
“Magsuot ng damit na natatakpan ang karamihan ng balat; maglagay rin ng mosquito repellent lotion o spray (Wear clothes that cover most of the skin; also apply mosquito repellent lotion or spray),” he added.
The DOH also underscored that better dengue measures improve early screening and referral.
Herbosa reiterated the importance of consulting a doctor or going to a health center immediately when experiencing fever, headache, stomach pain, rashes, or other symptoms.