MANILA, Philippines 鈥� The Department of Health (DOH) on Monday launched the聽 鈥淎las-Kwatro Kontra Mosquito鈥� drive on in a bid to address the rising number of dengue cases nationwide.
Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa, other DOH officials, and Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte led the anti-dengue clean-up drive in Barangay Batasan Hills around 4 p.m.
听罢he DOH likewise held clean-up drives in 19 other areas nationwide.
Herbosa also distributed larvicide to residents of Batasan Hills. He said prevention would help stop cases from surging.聽
鈥淪yempre pag hindi tayo maglilinis ng mga matutubig at yung mga pinupugaran ng lamok baka dun naman dumami ang dengue,鈥� the DOH chief said in an ambush interview after the clean-up drive.聽
(Because if we don鈥檛 clean areas with stagnant water and nests of mosquitoes then dengue cases will increase.)
鈥淎ng importante lang maprevent natin na mas maraming tao ang magkaroon ng dengue. Lalo na yung pangalawang dengue kasi ang dangerous eh, yun yung pwedeng maging hemorrhagic or mas serious,鈥� he added.聽
(It is important to prevent more people from contracting the dengue virus, especially the second one, since it is dangerous and can become hemorrhagic or more serious.)聽
Last week, the DOH reported that over 43,000 dengue cases were logged nationwide from January to February 15 this year.
Also, on February 15, Quezon City declared a dengue outbreak after recording 1,769 cases in the same period 鈥� nearly a 200 percent increase from last year. (with reports from Keith Irish Margareth Clores, 黑料社 trainee)