Dengue cases up in S. Cotabato 3 soldiers down by dengue in Kidapawan

KORONADAL CITY –- Health workers in South Cotabato and North Cotabato have intensified preventive campaign against mosquito-bite-triggered illness as the number of individuals afflicted with dengue has risen this year, officials said today.The provincial health office of South Cotabato have monitored more than 2,600 individuals in the province afflicted with dengue this year with four fatalities.Interviewed by DXOM-AM Radyo Bida Koronadal, Cecile Lorenzo of the Disease Surveillance Officer of South Cotabato Integrated Provincial Health Office said that as of November this year, 2,629 persons were sick with dengue.She said there were efforts in the past against the preventable disease but it needs public support. We enjoin the community to participate in the over-all campaign to get rid of the dengue causing mosquitoes in the surroundings, she said.Lorenzo said the number of dengue cases was 20 percent higher as compared to the same period last year of about 2,100 cases. She said the deaths were reported in Polomolok, Banga and Tampakan towns.Of the total number reported, about 30 percent were from Koronadal City followed by Tupi municipality.At least 22 villages have been tagged as clustered barangays” where dengue cases were high. Lorenzo said villages are clustered for preventive campaign and monitoring purposes to let the people participate in prevention campaign based on standards set by DOH National Epidemiology Center.Dr. Rogelio Aturdido Jr., provincial health officer, said clustering the villages will help prevent dengue through communal efforts, like the implementation of DOH’s ABKD (Aksyon Barangay Kontra Dengue) campaign.Lorenzo said many areas in the province and in the region have less or zero dengue cases because of the active participation of the community.In Barangay Binoligan, Kidapawan City, city health officials launched fogging operations Wednesday on a military camp after three soldiers were afflicted with dengue disease.Soldiers from the Army Scout Ranger Company sought the help of Kidapawan City Health office which immediately conducted the fogging operations.Members of Emergency Medical Technicians found containers with stagnant waters where mosquitoes believed to have been breeding.Nearby communities around the Army detachment were also subjected to fogging operations to ensure mosquito larvae will be eliminated.