In a move to fight dengue and other mosquito-borne diseases, the City Health Office (CHO) will intensify the creation of the barangay-based Dengue Task Force, strengthen household and school surveillance, and spread awareness through its Information Education Campaign.
Melodina Babante, head of the CHO’s Tropical Disease Division, said they continue to assist the barangays for the creation of their respective Barangay Mosquito-Borne Diseases Task Force (BMDTF).
Of the city’s 182 barangays, a total of 52 have already created their BMDTF.
Babante said the recorded cases this year are fewer compared to last year, from 4,186 cases with 36 deaths from January to August in 2023 to 3,733 cases with 25 deaths in the same period this year.
Despite the decrease in cases, Babante still called on Dabawenyos to remain vigilant as the rainy season begins.
“Dili magkompiyansa ang tanan kay sige gihapon og ulan-ulan. Kung ma-observe nato for the second quarter karon nga year murag gamay lang ang natala nga dengue cases because init to siya nga panahon. Karon, pagsugod sa ulan-ulan, didto nagsugod ni peak ang kaso sa dengue (Do not be complacent because it’s already rainy season. If we can observe for the second quarter this year, there were few recorded dengue cases because it was summer season. Now, that the rainy season begins, dengue cases also increases),” Babante said.
Babante also urged the community to cooperate to prevent and control the spread of dengue and that the CHO is now waiting for the Simultaneous Citywide Cleanup Drive.
By next month, CHO will start penalizing individuals found to have mosquito breeding sites in their homes, in accordance with the Davao City Mosquito-Borne Disease Protection and Control Program or City Ordinance No. 0401 series of 2020. CIO
