DILG holds clean-up campaign vs dengue

Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — After almost 200 people died from dengue in 2011, Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo mobilized Thursday villages throughout the country to conduct clean-up activities to areas where dengue-carrying mosquitoes were likely to lay their eggs.

Through an inter-agency cooperation strategy tagged Aksyon Barangay Kontra Dengue (ABKD),the country’s more than 42,000 villages were tapped to lead its implementation “in order to reduce dengue cases and control dengue transmission.”

Robredo said that village health teams, village watchmen, as well as residents and volunteers should work together and intensify clean-up activities in their areas.

“If we really want zero-dengue incidence, this [clean-up activity] should be a regular activity in all barangay, that should be participated in by residents and other concerned sectors,” said Robredo.

Last year, a total of 25,533 dengue cases have been reported 180 of who, mostly aged between 1 to 15 years old, died.

He also directed city and municipal mayors to make an ordinance embodying measures on dengue prevention and control, as well as to allocate funds for dengue prevention and control, subject to national and local rules and regulations.

He said that mayors should ensure that village chieftains under their supervision would conduct an information campaign relative to the “OL-Trap system” as a strategy to control and detect impending dengue outbreaks.

The Ovicidal/Larvicidal Trap System or OL-Trap System is a device consisting of a tumbler, strips of plywood and pellets that can detect dengue-carrier mosquitoes.

He said that OL-Trap materials should be made free to residents.

Similarly, city or municipal health officers are expected to  monitor the health situation in their respective areas; provide data on dengue cases to partner agencies and extend technical assistance in the conduct of training and orientation relative to dengue prevention and control; devise a scheme of providing support fund to ensure sustainability of dengue prevention and control; and ensure that dengue patients are provided with timely and proper medical attention.

The DILG secretary also directed all regional directors and the ARMM Governor to designate a regional focal person on dengue, and monitor the actions undertaken by the city, municipal and barangay by requiring them to submit quarterly reports.