LAOAG CITY – The Ilocos Norte Provincial Health Office (PHO) has intensified its information and education drive on dengue fever after recording two fatalities out of the total 146 cases as of July 20, 2024.
“There is intensive information education campaign in every municipality, implementation of 5S, and distribution of insecticides and larvicides,” Dr. Rickson Balalio, provincial health officer of Ilocos Norte told Philippine News Agency on Friday.
He reiterated that the best way to prevent dengue is through cleanliness, pointing out that the “conduct of fogging activities should only be conducted in hot spot areas.”
Ilocos Norte recorded a total of 1,838 in 2023 with zero morbidity, according to the PHO.
“We have recorded 146 cases, lower compared to the same date last year which is 685. We have two deaths now and no death last year,” said Balalio.
Aside from a massive information and education drive, the PHO is also distributing to the different rural health units and district hospitals dengue NS1Ag, an early dengue diagnostic predictor; larvicides, and insecticides, as preventive measures for possible outbreaks.
In previous years, the Ilocos Region was among those being closely monitored by the DOH for exceeding the dengue alert threshold although it clarified that the alleged outbreak was confined to specific villages and not the whole province.
As part of the information dissemination campaign, the DOH stresses its 5-S strategy: "Search and destroy" mosquito-breeding sites, employ "Self-protection measures", "Seek early consultation", "Support fogging/spraying" only in hotspot areas where the increase in cases is registered for two consecutive weeks to prevent an impending outbreak, and “Sustain hydration”. (PNA)
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