If health indices are indicators of public sanitation, the Philippines must exert more effort consistently.
The country's health department announced yesterday that dengue cases are nearing 20,000 this year.
A total of 17,228 dengue cases have been reported to the National Epidemiology Center between 1 January and 2 April, the Philippine Star said.
Last year, the number of recorded cases was 17,172 during the same period, which is 0.33 percent lower than the current period.
Dengue fever is a tropical and vector-borne disease that is transmitted by mosquito bites that causes fever, skin rashes, headache, muscle and joint pains. It may put a person's life at risk when toxic shock syndrome and hemorrhagic fever develop.
The health department advices the public to take advantage of the dry season to clean the surroundings that may become sources of breeding sites of the insects that has so far caused 12 deaths beginning this year.
There is so much behavioral change that the Filipinos must do. Time and again, dengue has been seen in the country with no signs of dropping.
Earlier, I reported the government’s renewed efforts to promote waste disposal and the discovery of high levels of mercury in the atmosphere in various locations including the capital city.
Programs that will promote environmental sanitation must be done on a daily basis and necessitates heightened political will and community participation.
Other neighboring countries have controlled dengue. There is no reason why the Philippines cannot follow suit.
Details of this report here.
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