DoH records over 100 fireworks-related injuries from Dec. 21-26

MANILA, Philippines – With a few days left before 2011 bids goodbye, the Department of Health has so far recorded over 100 fireworks-related injuries over the last week in Metro Manila, from December 21-26, a nurse of the National Epidemiology Center (NEC) said Tuesday.

Rowena J. Capistrano said the figure in its latest “Aksyon: Paputok Injury Reduction” (APIR) report was 42 cases or 27 percent lower compared with the same period in 2010 and 5.5 percent lower than the five-year average from 2006 to 2010.

Capistrano said the lower incidence of injuries “could be due to the increasing participation of local governments in enacting ordinances against fireworks.”

She also cited the “intensified government and non-government organizations (NGO) campaign” against firecrackers.

“Probably behavioral change of Filipinos. Instead of buying firecrackers, [they would] buy food instead,” she added.

APIR is the DoH’s latest nationwide campaign that aims to reduce the number of people hurt by fireworks in the days leading to the New Year celebrations. The acronym is actually a word in Filipino, “apir”, which is characterized by a “high-five” gesture and was used by the DoH in its posters to represent the five simple reminders to avoid injuries: all firecrackers are dangerous, all firecrackers are prohibited from children, keep away from people using firecrackers, never pickup firecrackers that have not exploded, and immediately seek help when injured by firecrackers.

In the report, ninety-three (93) percent or 105 of the injuries were fireworks-related injuries (FRI). There were also seven cases of stray-bullet injuries and one of firecracker ingestion.

Seventy-five of the FRIs were caused by illegal fireworks while 60 were due to the “piccolo”, a type of firecracker.

Ten FRI cases have resulted into amputations while 16 resulted in eye injuries.