The Cordillera office of the Department of Health (DoH) recently declared a dengue outbreak in Lagawe, Ifugao and Bulanao, Kalinga due to the sudden increase in the number of cases in the two areas, reaching 527 cases since January this year.

With the outbreak and the rising cases of dengue in other areas, President Arroyo ordered health agencies and local governments to link arms to protect the people from mosquito-borne disease.

Despite the dengue outbreak in Ifugao and Kalinga, Dr. Myrna Cabotaje, DoH-CAR regional director, said the situations in the two Cordillera towns are now under control.

In Ifugao, a total of 127 dengue fever cases, including four outside the province, were admitted at the Ifugao provincial hospital and other health units for the first 35 weeks of this year.

She revealed there were two deaths, including two children, registered in the province as a result of the dengue-carrying mosquito which resulted in the spread of the disease.

In Tabuk, Kalinga, 400 dengue fever cases were documented by health authorities for the first 35 weeks of this year prompting the DoH-CAR to declare an outbreak in the area over the past several weeks.

In general, Cabotaje said that there were a total of 833 dengue fever cases recorded in the region for the first 35 weeks, an increase by 28 percent compared to the 648 cases for the same period last year.

At the same time, the number of dengue cases recorded this year compared to the same period last year noticeably increased from 52 cases to 124 cases in Benguet.

Cabotaje said dengue outbreaks are declared in a certain area when the number of cases within the same period in the current year goes beyond the expected range.

She explained the so-called range is computed as the average number of cases within the period of three to five years prior to the current year.

An area is considered to be a dengue hot spot when an increase in the number of dengue cases is observed for three consecutive weeks even if the said number is within the expected range.

Because of the outbreak, Deputy Presidential Spokesman Anthony Golez said the President asked the DoH to intensify its public education campaign to prevent outbreaks of dengue in homes, schools, communities and workplaces.

The President issued the directives after the health department reported more than 16,000 people have been hospitalized due to dengue this year. At least 165 people have reportedly died from dengue, a tropical disease transmitted by mosquitoes.

“The President would like to stress and reiterate the need for cooperation among the local government units, the different communities, and national health officials in combating dengue in the country,” Golez told reporters in the Palace.

“The President also instructed the DoH to intensify the campaign against dengue particularly public educational programs because dengue can be prevented,” he said.