With students among the most vulnerable to dengue fever, the Department of Education (DepEd) has ordered stricter school–based prevention measures against the mosquito-borne disease after noting a rise in dengue cases this year.
Education Secretary Armin Luistro has instructed public schools anew to implement anti-dengue measures in their campuses, particularly the 4S strategy: search and destroy mosquitoes, seek early consultation, self-protective measures and say no to indiscriminate fogging.
“Dengue fever is one of the country’s major health concerns now. Over the years, it has taken its toll on our population, including many of our school children, our health services, and the nation’s overall productivity,” Luistro said in a statement.
“This is why DepEd has been one of the most committed agencies in the anti-dengue campaign. Our motivation is obvious: our schoolchildren are among the most prone to dengue-carrying Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, and we want this to stop,” he said.
Citing data from the Department of Health, DepEd said dengue patients increased by 8 percent in the first half of this year from the same period last year.
Some 22,903 dengue cases were recorded from January to May 7 this year. Of these cases, some 141 deaths were recorded.
Metro Manila had the highest incidence, with some 6,732 dengue cases, followed by Central Luzon with a total 4,181 cases and Region IV-A (Calabarzon) with some 3,555 cases.
DepEd has been spreading awareness about dengue in schools and has implemented the PASS (Prevention Alert System in Schools) initiative, an information system that relays to local health officials reports about dengue cases among students or teachers for quick response.
“We have taken these steps in our firm resolve to prevent this disease from continuing to inflict damage on the lives of our people, especially our young children. But we know these are not enough,” Luistro said.
He said he community should also pool their efforts and resources to free young children from this disease that can be prevented and controlled.