Dengue surges, but Palace focuses on decline

THE NUMBER of dengue cases nationwide surged to over 78,800 in the first nine months of the year, about 15,000 more than recorded in the same period last year, and resulting in 233 deaths.

The dengue incidence in seven regions also increased, but Malacañang appeared not to be alarmed by the health emergency caused by the mosquito-transmitted disease.

Presidential Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma on Sunday said that despite the hike in the number of dengue cases, cases in 10 other regions declined.

Dengue cases have reportedly increased in several places in the Ilocos, Central Luzon and the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR).

In Pangasinan, cases have reached epidemic levels, with the number of residents stricken ill jumping from 1,687 to 2,940 in just nine months, said the provincial health office.

Dr. Ana Maria Teresa de Guzman reportedly said the number of cases in some areas, which she did not identify, had gone past the threshold for the declaration of an epidemic.

Dengue has killed 12 people in the Region I province this year. Last year, only five people died of the disease.

The provincial health office has put on a watch-list nine towns and a city with the highest number of dengue cases. These are Alaminos City and the municipalities of Sison, Bolinao, Bani, San Fabian, Mangaldan, Asingan, Umingan, Anda and Pozorrubio.

Of the 4,771 cases recorded in Bulacan from January to September this year, 11 deaths were reported.

In the CAR, the number of dengue cases rose from 3,124 in August to 4,964 in September, with Mountain Province recording the highest number of cases at 394.

Eight fatalities, including a 9-year-old girl in Abra, were reported in the region.

Where disease went down

Coloma, however, cited declines in 10 regions.

“These are Mimaropa, which went down from 1,648 cases to 1,348; Bicol, from 993 to 868; Western Visayas, 5,718 to 3,756; Central Visayas, 3,481 to 3,326; Eastern Visayas, 4,508 to 737; Zamboanga Peninsula, 4,743 to 3,981; Northern Mindanao, 6,928 to 5,795; Davao region, 5,849 to 2,619; Soccsksargen, 5,302 to 5,109, and Caraga, 6,046 to 2,598,” Coloma said in an interview over state-run Radyo ng Bayan.

Dengue, which causes high fever, headache, itching and joint pains, can be fatal to children and the elderly.

“Dengue is on the decline in many provinces,” Coloma said in a text message to the Inquirer.

“Only Cavite and Bulacan had declared a state of calamity to enable the local government units to access funds for the purpose,” he said, citing Department of Health data.

Coloma said a government initiative led by the DOH was addressing the dengue incidence in particular provinces, with the help of local government units “focusing on community and grassroots and household-based prevention.”

“The DOH is intensifying its prevention strategy, focusing on vector control. The agency has provided affected local government units with World Health Organization-evaluated insecticide to make sure that these are safe to use and effective,” he said.

Asked about the government’s inability to find a replacement for the herbal-based dengue treatment which the DOH suspended in late 2014, Malacañang quoted DOH spokesperson Dr. Lyndon Lee Suy as saying: “The clinical research during Secretary Enrique Ona’s term was halted because of some technical requirements that were not addressed during the study, like ethical issues.”

Palace insiders, including an official who asked not to be named for lack of authority to speak to the media, said lives could have been saved if the treatment had not been suspended.