EDITORIAL - Dengue alert

As dengue has now become a serious national health concern, various local government units across the country are now grappling for a solution to the rising number of cases of the disease since January.

In Cebu, the Provincial Board urged municipalities and cities to regularly inform health authorities on dengue cases in their areas. In a resolution, the PB said it is only proper for the Rural Health Unit of towns and component cities to be updated on the disease

In Mandaue City, to protect themselves from dengue-carrying mosquitoes, students are urged to wear knee-high socks and long-sleeved clothes in schools. A resolution recently passed by the City Council also requested daycare centers and schools to encourage students to observe proper sanitation.

These moves by the PB and the Mandaue City government were in response to the Department of Health’s recent declaration of the National Dengue Alert this month as cases of dengue have skyrocketed since January.

Now that the country has entered the wet season, we can only expect dengue cases to further increase. The rainy days are a favorite time for mosquitoes to multiply with watery areas as their usual breeding grounds.

Yes, we cannot really prevent dengue virus-carrying mosquitoes from spreading. However, dengue can be prevented if only everyone puts premium on awareness against the deadly disease that has already claimed thousands of lives in the country.

The government, especially the health department, has never been remiss in its anti-dengue campaign as it keeps on urging communities do their part by encouraging the people to follow the simple steps against the deadly disease.

However, the problem is that despite the massive information drive, many remain negligent of the preventive measures being encouraged by health authorities. If only everyone is seriously concerned and takes steps against the disease, the number of dengue cases would have been manageable.