EU extends humanitarian aid for dengue victims

The European Union will donate 100,000 euros (around P5.69 million) in humanitarian funding to help the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) respond to the ongoing dengue outbreak.

The EU Delegation to the Philippines said in a statement that the aid would benefit 300,000 people in Metro Manila and Calabarzon, Central Luzon, Central Visayas and Western Visayas regions.

The funding aims to help the PRC put up dengue emergency medical units or hospital extension wards at local government hospitals and provide nursing staff to respond to dengue cases.

Water sources, the usual breeding habitat of mosquitoes, will be cleaned and treated with a biological control agent to eliminate mosquito larvae.

The aid is part of the European Union’s overall contribution to the Disaster Relief Emergency Fund of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.

Since the beginning of 2019, the Philippines has seen a drastic increase in the number of dengue cases nationwide.

The Central and Western Visayas regions have been the worst-hit areas with nearly 16,000 cases registered.

The Department of Health declared a national dengue alert on July 15 in an effort to step up its surveillance and response to the mosquito-borne disease.