Health authorities in the region of Mimaropa (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, Palawan) have launched a program to prevent the spread of malaria, a mosquito-borne disease, particularly among indigenous communities in the province of Palawan.
Residents of communities with a high number of malaria cases are being tested for the disease through their blood samples and other types of tests. Members of indigenous communities are being dewormed.
In Palawan, a total of 5,068 malaria cases had been confirmed between Jan. 1 to Oct. 30 in five municipalities—Rizal, Brooke’s Point, Bataraza, Balabac and Quezon.
According to the Regional Epidemiological Unit of the Department of Health (DOH) office in Mimaropa, the number of malaria cases in Brooke’s Point from January to October (1,275) is 17 percent higher than the number of cases (1,092) during the same period last year.
“The increase in malaria cases is due to insufficient knowledge about the disease,” said Eduardo Janairo, DOH Mimaropa director, in a statement. He said the spread of the disease was also due to lack of tests, “itinerant habits of IPs (indigenous peoples) and wrong beliefs and customs about the disease.”
Poverty, he said, is also a factor.
High risk groups include upland farmers, forest workers, indigenous peoples and settlers in mountainous areas. Also highly vulnerable to malaria are women and children below five years old, Janairo said.
“I urge everyone, especially those in endemic malaria areas, to submit themselves for blood tests,” said Janairo. The blood tests are being rejected in some IP communities that believe spilling blood would bring bad luck.
Janairo said the tests are needed so health workers could “provide timely care and treatment.”
“Malaria is everyone’s responsibility and the cooperation of every member of the community is vital in elimination efforts,” he said.
“Malaria must be diagnosed and treated promptly to keep the illness from progressing and prevent further spread of infection in the community,” said Janairo in the regional DOH office’s statement.
He said the regional DOH office continues to try to eradicate breeding grounds of mosquitoes by spraying insecticides to drive away or kill the pests and cleaning surroundings, with the help of local government units, in communities with high numbers of malaria cases.
Malaria is the ninth leading cause of death in the country. It is a disease caused by a parasite called plasmodium which is transmitted by anopheles mosquitoes that thrive in rural and remote areas surrounded by hills, mountains or seas.
Malaria transmission is most prevalent during the rainy season.