Fighting dengue
Credit to Author: Tempo Desk| Date: Mon, 29 Jul 2019 16:35:15 +0000
HOW effectively can our country deal with the current challenge on dengue fever?
The Department of Health (DOH) has already issued a National Dengue Alert given the continuously rising number of dengue cases in most regions in the country. A dengue epidemic was already declared in four regions – Mimaropa, Western Visayas, Central Visayas, and Northern Mindanao. Furthermore, the number of dengue cases already exceeded the alert threshold in the 10 other regions – Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, Calabarzon, Bicol, Eastern Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula, Davao, Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, and Cordillera Administrative Region.
The dengue challenge is different from the still ongoing measles problem in the country. Solving the latter is essentially a function of effective immunization, particularly by dealing with the immunization fear caused by the Dengvaxia controversy. Winning the former is more challenging because there isn’t any available vaccine or medicine.
The prevention of dengue requires actions from both the government and the citizens. Such actions are essentially contained in the 4S strategy of DOH – search and destroy mosquito breeding places; self-protective measures like wearing long-sleeved clothes and use of mosquito repellent; seek early consultation on the first signs and symptoms of the disease; and say yes to fogging if there is an impending outbreak.
In implementing the 4S dengue strategy, the whole government, and not the DOH alone, needs to assume leadership role. While the actions required by the strategy are performed by the citizens, the government needs to encourage and facilitate the taking of such actions.
The “whole government” referred to covers the national and local government agencies, including the barangay governments.
Information on dengue and its prevention is key to winning this health challenge. There is obviously a need for a nationwide dengue information program and such needs to be implemented through concerted, coordinated and unified efforts of all concerned government agencies at all levels.
Aside from information, there is also a need to come up with a national action plan for dengue prevention and treatment.
If local government units are made to answer for their shortcomings or failures in performing their responsibilities in managing wastes and road use, they should also be made to account for their performance in implementing national dengue information and action programs.
Given the nature of the dengue virus and disease, nothing but unified leadership actions from all government agencies for unified actions of the citizens can make our country win this challenge. One household free from mosquito breeding places will not deter the spread of the virus when the rest of households in a barangay, municipality or city are not.