Iloilo City’s anti-Dengue measures up as rainy season starts

With the onset of the rainy season, the Iloilo City Government through the City Health Office (CHO) is taking proactive measures to prevent the possible surge of dengue cases in the city.

Dr. June Frances Umani, Medical Officer IV at Tanza Health Center who also serves as the city’s Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Disease Program Coordinator said, the CHO has distributed larvicides to 180 city barangays as early as last week of May.

Larvicides are applied on possible breeding sites of dengue vector (Aedes) mosquitoes.

Umani also noted that the CHO has also mobilized their team to conduct “pamulong-pulong sa barangay” or public awareness campaign about dengue and its prevention.

Barangays are also urged to conduct regular clean-up activities such as 4’clock habit and do the 4S Kontra Dengue which stands for search and destroy mosquito-breeding places; seek early consultation; self-protection; and support fogging or spraying operations when necessary.

“We would like to emphasize that the clean-up drive against dengue must start at everyone’s household, sa aton mga ugsaran,” Umani stressed.

Based on data of the CHO, from January 1 to June 1, 2024, the city has recorded a total of 176 cases with zero death. The age group below one year has the highest cases with 50, followed by one to 10 years old with 39, and 11 to 20 years old with 16, while the rest are 21 years old and above.

No clustering of cases has been recorded. Arevalo district registered the most number of cases at 56, followed by Molo and Jaro II, 23 each; La Paz, 22; Jaro I, 20; Mandurriao, 10; Sto. Rosario nine; Tanza eight; and Lapuz five.

This year’s number of cases is 29.6 percent lower compared to 250 cases with three deaths recorded on the same period last year.

“We are hoping to maintain the low number of dengue cases. We must be vigilant and not be complacent because rainy season has started,” said Umani.

Dengue outbreak has been declared in Iloilo City in 2019 following the surge of cases to 3, 345 with 16 deaths. A downtrend in cases was recorded in 2020 and 2021, with 255 and 343 cases, respectively. The city registered an upsurge in 2022 with 1, 092 cases and 2023 with 1, 007 cases. (Iloilo City PIO)