Cebu City health workers ensure downward trend of dengue cases

Cebu City Health Department hopes to sustain the gains it had last month to further decrease cases of dengue even under the rainy season and several fire incidents in the past few days.

CHD’s officer-in-charge, Dr. Jeffrey Ibones, said so far, the month of June has lower cases than in May and they hope to keep the trend going down.

Usually, health experts said, dengue cases go up in the second half of the year being a rainy season, yet, in Cebu City, dengue cases have been a concern already even in the first half of the year.

The month of May alone saw 361 cases, the highest number of cases in a month so far for this year.

For the month of June, it has gone down to 250 cases.

So far, for this month, there are still around 20 cases noted.

Since intensifying their campaign against dengue, cases have indeed gone lower.

In total though, there are now 1,383 cases with 17 deaths since January up to the present.

“Hopefully moubos na siya, but hopefully lang na siya..kay sige pa byag baha, sigeg uwan and sunog,” said Dr. Ibones.

Dr. Ibones said they are also deploying personnel to evacuation sites to check on the conditions of the evacuees and ensure that the place is safe from dengue.

The CHD is conducting regular misting as well as "search and destroy" of possible breeding grounds of the dengue mosquito and other measures, especially in schools where most classrooms have no screen for better protection.

“We are praying and we are doing our best na mapaubos gyud ang kaso.. with the help sa media and constituents,” said Dr. Ibones.

CHD’s order to health workers to go out of the barangay centers and go out to the community from 3 to 5 p.m. for information dissemination, misting, search and destroy as well as fever surveillance among other measures also continues.

Dr. Ibones is also thankful that the Department of Interior and Local Government has already met with the barangay officials via the Liga ng mga Barangays to help the city in its campaign versus dengue. — Caecent No-ot Magsumbol with Decemay P. Padilla/GMR