Malaria cases down in ARMM

COTABATO CITY, Philippines -The health department recorded only 33 cases of malaria from January to March 2016 in the five provinces of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, lower than last year’s average of about 70 cases per quarter.

 

Dr. Kadil Sinolinding, Jr., ARMM’s regional health secretary, said the reduction by about half of the malaria cases in the region for the first quarter of 2016 against same period last year, is an indication of a considerable breakthrough in their anti-malaria thrusts.

 

He said the Department of Health in ARMM gained headway in its effort to curb mosquito-borne diseases in the autonomous region with the help of ARMM Gov. Mujiv Hataman.

 

The ARMM covers Maguindanao and Lanao del Sur, both in mainland Mindanao, and the island provinces of Basilan and Sulu and Tawi-Tawi.

 

Functions of the DOH were devolved to the ARMM government based on Republic Act 9054, the region's charter.

 

Sulu had 21 malaria cases in the first quarter of 2016 while Tawi-Tawi and Maguindanao had nine and three cases respectively.

 

Sinolinding said there were no deaths from malaria reported from January to March 2016.

 

He said there were six recorded deaths due to malaria in the region in 2010 and four in 2015.