WHO, DOH team kicks off Schistosomiasis Month in Mayorga, Leyte

By Erlinda Olivia P. Tiu

Thursday 5th of July 2012

GOVERNMENT CENTER, PALO, Leyte, July 5 (PIA) -- To highlight the commemoration of the month of July as Schistosomiasis Month, a kick-off activity is set to be conducted at Barangay Bonifacio, Mayorga, Leyte from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. today.

Department of Health Region 8 Director Jaime S. Bernadas said a team from the World Health Organization and DOH Central Office will grace the kick-off activity which will start with a motorcade to be followed by a short program.

Director Bernadas said the team will observe the actual conduct and look into the process of implementation at the local level of the Schistosomiasis Mass Treatment. The treatment will be given to all target population from ages 5 to 60 years of age.

Since 2009, the thrust of the Department of Health is to give the treatment to all individuals ages 5 to 60, in an endemic areas, Ms. Agnes Cuayzon, DOH Schistosomiasis program focal person, added.

She added that the target is 85 percent of the total population in order to achieve morbidity control.

The choice of Barangay Bonifacio in Mayorga, Leyte as the venue of the activity lies in the fact that it has very low mass treatment coverage. Thus, in order to increase the treatment coverage and lower the incidence of the disease, DOH decided to conduct the activity there.

Ms. Cuayzon said there are 2,222 endemic barangays, 189 municipalities in 28 provinces in the 11 regions in the Philippines.

In Eastern Visayas, Schistosomiasis is endemic in four of the six provinces, namely, Northern Samar, Eastern Samar, Western Samar and Northern Leyte.

It is endemic in 23 municipalities and one city in the province of Leyte. These include Abuyog, Alangalang, Babatngon, Barugo, Burauen, Carigara, Dagami, Dulag, Javier, Julita, Jaro, La Paz, MacArthur, Mayorga, Matag-ob, Palo, Pastrana, Sata Fe, San Miguel, Tabontabon, Tacloban City, Tanauan, Tolosa, Tunga and Villaba.

Ms. Cuayzon stressed however, that only several barangays of the mentioned municipalities are endemic to Schisto.

She said that there has been an observed increase in the prevalence of Schistosomiasis in the Region which DOH attributed to the recent flooding. She however noted that there is lesser occurrence of distended abdomen which is frequently seen in Schistosomiasis. Instead, there is more of the convulsive type, the DOH nurse said.

The commemoration of the month of July as Schistosomiasis Month is pursuant to Administrative Order 0013. (PIA 8)