With the Department of Health (DOH) declaring a national dengue alert, Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Eduardo M. Año calls on all local government units (LGUs) to immediately undertake clean up drives to eliminate all mosquito-breeding areas to stop the spread of dengue in their respective areas.
“The alarming increase of dengue cases in several areas should prompt LGUs to act now and act fast in arresting the spread of dengue in their respective areas. We should not allow dengue to debilitate our communities,”says Año.
The DILG Chief specifically enjoins LGUs to coordinate with DOH representatives in identifying breeding areas and steps to take in the safe and effective containment of the mosquito population.
“We must increase our efforts in addressing the dengue infection especially during this rainy season when cases are expected to rise,” he says.
Año issued the call as a national dengue alert was issued by the DOH after cases of the viral disease transmitted by mosquitoes peaked to more than 100,000 as of June.
The DOH identified regions with raised dengue alerts exceeding the epidemic threshold are MIMAROPA (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, and Palawan), Western Visayas (Region VI), Central Visayas (Region VII), and Northern Mindanao (Region X).
Meanwhile, the Ilocos region (Region I), Cagayan Valley (Region II), CALABARZON (Region IV-A), Bicol region (Region V), Eastern Visayas (Region VIII), Zamboanga Peninsula (Region IX), Davao region (Region XI), Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), and the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) are identified as regions that have exceeded the alert threshold.
Clean-up drive
The DILG urges LGUs and barangays to mobilize residents to participate in clean-up drives to eliminate breeding areas of dengue-carrying mosquitoes.
“Lahat tayo ay magtulong-tulong at kumilos na. Huwag nating iasa na lang sa gobyerno ang paglilinis at pagsisinop sa ating mga kapaligiran para maiwasan ang dengue,” he says.
Stagnant water in public and private places breed mosquitoes and LGUs are enjoined to actively remove or control these breeding grounds.
