As the number of municipalities and cities declaring dengue outbreak continues to rise nationwide, Philippine Red Cross (PRC) Chairman Richard Gordon emphasized the need to mobilize Red Cross 143 volunteers in initiating community drives in searching for and destroying mosquito-breeding sites.
Red Cross 143 is a volunteer recruitment project which endeavors to recruit at least 43 volunteers and one team leader in every barangay to be the first to respond to emergencies and disasters.
PRC stepped up its campaign against dengue as the number of cases from January 1 to July 10, 2010 escalated to 29,393, a nearly 35-percent increase from the same period in 2009, according to the Department of Health.
“I am very alarmed with the increase in the number of dengue cases for the first seven months of 2010. PRC should double its efforts in preventing dengue in communities across the different regions of the country,” said Gordon.
In Pangasinan, the municipality of Mangatarem made a unilateral declaration of dengue outbreak on July 20 due to epidemic threshold of 24 cases as of July 19, compared to 11 cases in 2009.
In response, PRC-Pangasinan Chapter conducted cleanup drives in the municipality of Rosales and Dagupan City. Schools also became the target of dengue prevention campaigns as hygiene promotion sessions were held in Balincanaway Elementary School and Judge de Venecia National High School.
The chapter also initiated a meeting with the Department of Education-Pangasinan Division 1 and 2 for the reactivated school-to-school awareness session and strengthened blood donor recruitment to augment the supply of Region I Medical Center in Dagupan City.
PRC-Cagayan Chapter also conducts dengue prevention community dissemination as the municipality of Ballesteros was declared under a state of calamity due to dengue. A total of 418 cases were recorded in the province from January to July 26.
Meanwhile, the PRC chapter in Western Samar continuously provides lectures on dengue in different sentinel schools with the declaration of dengue outbreak in Brgy. Santa Margarita where 79 cases and three deaths were noted. In Calbayog City, 288 cases and four deaths were recorded, while Brgy. Erenas, San Jorge reported one dengue case.
PRC Misamis Oriental and Cagayan de Oro City, on the other hand, focused on searching and destroying mosquito-breeding sites. A total of 670 dengue cases and 11 deaths were noted in Misamis Oriental as of July 15, while 788 cases and 11 deaths were reported in Cagayan de Oro City.
“It is necessary that all PRC chapters nationwide mobilize their 143 volunteers in strengthening their community-based dengue prevention program to create an increased awareness and to improve cleanliness among communities,” said Gordon.
Realizing the increased demand for blood during the dengue season, PRC also urged healthy volunteers to visit the nearest blood center and donate blood.
Dengue is an infection that causes a severe influenza-like illness, and sometimes a deadly complication called dengue haemorrhagic fever. It is transmitted by Aedes Egypti, a day-biting mosquito which lays eggs in clear and stagnant water found in flower vases, cans, rain barrels, old rubber tires and other containers. Signs and symptoms include fever, joint and muscle pain, weakness, skin rashes, dark-colored stools and vomiting of coffee-colored matter.