Bulacan set to be Malaria-free in 2019

MALOLOS CITY, Bulacan — “If the fouryear trend of zero-case in the province will continue until 2018, Bulacan will be declared as Malaria-free by the year 2019.”

This was said by Dr. Antonio B. Bautista, Deputy Program Manager for Field Operation of the Pilipinas Shell Foundation IncorporatedMovement Against Malaria (PSFI-MAM), when he spoke at Friday’s Stakeholder’s Forum for the Malaria Awareness Day 2017 held at The Pavilion, Hiyas ng Bulacan Convention Center, here.

Dr. Bautista, who also served as the guest speaker for the event, said that the government together with the stakeholders must work handin-hand to achieve a Malaria-free province.

“What we need to do is to provide documentary evidences that there is no more local malaria transmission; demonstrate the province’ capacity to detect all possible cases, diagnose and treat them; demonstrate the province’ capacity to detect threats of Malaria re-introduction and respond accordingly; and the province should be able to demonstrate the capacity to support and sustain the above-mentioned capacities on its own,” Dr. Bautista said.

Earlier, Dr. Bautista, Governor Wilhelmino M. Sy-Alvarado, Vice Gov. Daniel R.Fernando and stakeholders including municipal and city health officers, representatives from public and private hospitals, medical technologists, nurses, sanitary inspectors, Barangay Health Worker (BHW), Department of Education, Department of Interior and Local Government, Philippine National Police, Bulacan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, media and religious sectors pledged their commitment to support a Malaria-free Bulacan.