ILOILO CITY (PIA) – The Iloilo Provincial Health Office (IPHO) is ramping up its preventive campaign against dengue hemorrhagic fever amid the reported increase in cases this year.
IPHO head Dr. Maria Socorro Quiñon, in a statement, said that they are already alarmed by the spike in cases, noting that everyone should be vigilant and take part in the conduct of anti-dengue clean-up drives in the community.
Quiñon also assured rural health units (RHUs) that the provincial government will provide enough funds for their interventions to combat dengue, including the purchase of dengue test kits, medicines, materials for information and education campaigns, and for fogging and indoor residual spraying to control the mosquito population.
“Our staff in the PHO will go to all the towns to help ensure that 4S strategies are being implemented. We ask the public to take all the preventive measures seriously and for the barangay officials to support the campaign through the Aksyon Barangay Kontra Dengue,” she added.
The 4S strategy stands for Search and destroy breeding places, Seek early consultation, Self-protection, and Say yes to fogging and spraying.
Data from the Provincial Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit (PESU) released by the PHO on February 7, indicated that the province logged 385 cases, including four deaths, which is 58 percent higher compared to 244 cases with no casualties recorded in the same period in 2024.
The four recorded fatalities included a 67-year-old woman and a six-year-old boy from the town of Pototan, a 71-year-old man from Carles, and an 11-month-old boy from Oton town.
Out of the reported cases, Cabatuan town posted the highest number with 22, followed by the towns of Leon, Oton, and San Joaquin with 21 cases each, and Dumangas, with 19. Only Bingawan has no confirmed cases as of this writing.
Quiñon revealed that based on the data, Iloilo province remains at the outbreak level since August 2024, noting that the number of barangays with clustering of cases, or those with dengue incidents for three or more weeks, also increased to 18 compared to 13 cases in the previous period.
She also reminded the public to not take fever lightly as it is one of the symptoms of dengue, and urged everyone to improve their health-seeking behavior to protect themselves against dengue-carrying mosquitoes.
Other symptoms of dengue include headache, nausea, rash, aches and pains in eyes, muscles, joints and bones, and feeling tired, restless, or irritable. (AAL/JNH/PIA Iloilo)
