BATTLING DENGUE

LOURD BRYAN I. GOZUN

We should all be reminded about our responsibilities to help stop the spread of common diseases like dengue. The rains are here again, so we have to ensure that our surroundings are clean.

Local government units should ensure that the medical needs of everyone are met so they can achieve prosperity that comes from a community with a healthy citizenry.

LGUs should hold seminars to discuss different types of diseases that commonly occur in a community such as dengue, measles and chickenpox and how to decrease the risk of having these kinds of diseases.

Actually, by simply washing our hands and maintaining cleanliness of households, we may already reduce the risk of common diseases. It must start within ourselves and apply it in our everyday lives.

Barangay Health Workers should also actively participate in the activities of the LGUs in disseminating health tips and promoting healthy living.

Meanwhile, the provincial government of Pampanga has been making headway in addressing the dengue problem in the province. In a report, dengue cases have decreased in the last three years.

The declining trend in dengue cases can be attributed to awareness and intervention efforts by all stakeholders concerned – the Dengue Task Force (DTF), composed of barangay captain, kagawad on health, school principal, BHWs and non-government organizations (NGOs) who have been tasked to educate the village folks on how to combat the dreaded dengue fever.

The DTF is also responsible in monitoring dengue cases in their areas and as well searching for mosquito breeding grounds.

Barangay folks, meanwhile, are required to submit breeding sites of kitikiti to the Rural Health Unit (RHU) every first Friday of the month, while the remaining Fridays of the month are intended for “Search and Seek’’strategy to defeat dengue.

Community efforts are slowly paying off but the public cannot be complacent as the mosquito-borne disease is painful, debilitating and fatal.

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The author is NTD (Nurse Deployment Program) under the Department of Health.