Dengue Outbreak : NMP in Action

Mr. Leonido Olobia, Regional Dengue Program Manager of Department of Health (DOH) – Eastern Visayas conducting Lecture on Dengue Awareness and Prevention to NMP personnel and members of the 1101st Squadron of the Philippine Coast Guard Auxiliary District Eastern Visayas

Tacloban City – Due to the ballooning dengue cases in Region 8, the National Maritime Polytechnic (NMP) through its Gender and Development (GAD) Committee facilitated the conduct of Lecture on Dengue Awareness and Prevention on 20 August 2019 at the Room 109, NMP Training Building, Cabalawan, Tacloban City.

NMP tapped the expertise of Mr. Leonido Olobia, Regional Dengue Program Manager of the Department of Health (DOH) – Eastern Visayas who gave emphasis on vector control as a strategy to prevent and control dengue.

Mr. Olobia reported that from 01 January to 16 August 2019, dengue cases in Eastern Visayas now reached thirteen thousand nine hundred eighty-eight (13,988) and there were forty-nine (49) deaths recorded. Majority of cases were from Leyte (43.7%) and the most affected group were males where age group belong to 5-14 years old comprising of 51.2% of all cases.

He also presented the DOH’s 4S as the effective strategy to prevent dengue cases and deaths.  The 4S strategy consists of:  Search and destroy mosquito breeding places; Secure self-protection; Seek early consultation; and Support fogging / spraying only in hotspots areas where increase in cases is registered for two consecutive weeks to prevent an impending outbreak.

“Dengue is everyone’s concern. In order to prevent dengue we should start within our homes, let us clean our surroundings by emptying containers of stagnant waters to eradicate the breeding places of Aedes aegypti  mosquitoes”, Mr. Olobia said.

He also encouraged all participants to help one another and educate others on how to prevent and control dengue.

The activity was attended by NMP personnel and members of the 1101st Squadron of the Philippine Coast Guard Auxiliary District Eastern Visayas.

Considering that NMP sits on a sprawling 15.65 hectare lot, continual conduct of clean-up drive and upkeep of surroundings, buildings, and facilities will be practiced to eliminate stagnant waters so that mosquitoes cannot breed, thus,  ensuring the safety of NMP employees and clients.