The Iloilo provincial government has declared a dengue outbreak with Governor Arthur Defensor, Jr. stating that the province is now in a “battle” against the ongoing surge of cases in several communities.
The declaration was made on Wednesday, August 14, 2024, after the province surpassed both the epidemic and alert level thresholds.
“We are in a war right now, and we are fighting,” Defensor emphasized, underscoring the urgency of the situation.
Two municipalities, Passi City and Tigbauan, have already declared a state of calamity.
Defensor is considering a provincewide state of calamity due to the continuous rise in dengue cases, meeting the National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council’s criteria with at least two municipalities making the declaration.
The province has been placed under a “blue alert” status, triggering intensified surveillance and monitoring by local disaster risk reduction and management offices across all local government units (LGUs) in the province.
Under the Department of Health’s (DOH) revised guidelines for declaring a state of calamity, provincial, city, or municipal health officers are authorized to declare an outbreak.
This decision must consider case trends over the last five years, including hospitalization, severity, and mortality rates, as well as the capacity of the health system to manage the outbreak.
Defensor announced plans to issue an advisory to all municipalities in the province, urging them to reinforce dengue prevention measures.
These include intensifying the 5S strategy—Search and Destroy, Self-Protection Measures, Seek Consultation, Support Fogging in Outbreak Areas, and Sustain Hydration—along with ongoing surveillance and fogging in hotspot areas.
“Since January, we have repeatedly emphasized the importance of preparation, monitoring, and the implementation of the 5S strategy, especially during the dry season and now as the rainy season has begun, through the ‘Limpyo Iloilo’ program,” Defensor added.
The governor assured that intravenous fluids (IV) and dengue test kits are already in place at various district hospitals and Rural Health Units (RHUs).
As a preventive measure, the provincial government is also considering suspending the school uniform requirement, encouraging students to wear long-sleeved clothing for added protection.
The Iloilo provincial government is currently pooling funds to provide financial assistance to municipalities for their dengue prevention efforts. However, Defensor did not specify a timeline for when these funds will be distributed.
“We are gathering financial assistance to be given to the municipalities to enhance their capacity to combat dengue,” Defensor stated.
According to the Iloilo Provincial Hospital Management Office (IPHMO), 241 beds across district hospitals were occupied as of August 14, 2024, due to dengue cases—significantly lower than the 561 beds used during the 2019 dengue surge.
Defensor assured that the current situation is still manageable. In the event of overcrowding in district hospitals, municipalities have been advised to prepare COVID-19 facilities to serve as alternative healthcare centers.
“If necessary, we have alerted our municipalities to prepare our COVID-19 facilities, which can also serve as healthcare facilities,” the governor said.
The 32nd morbidity report from the Provincial Epidemiology Surveillance Unit (PESU) indicated that from January 1 to August 10, there were 4,595 dengue cases recorded—a 320% increase from the 1,095 cases during the same period in 2023. Additionally, 10 deaths have been reported, including four recent cases.
Passi City leads with the highest number of cases (344), followed by Oton (223), Dingle (210), Lambunao (201), Dumangas (187), Calinog (183), Barotac Nuevo (172), Janiuay (164), Badiangan (161), and San Dionisio (144).
The 10 fatalities include a six-year-old boy and a 16-year-old girl from Miagao, a 20-year-old and a 15-year-old boy from Badiangan, a four-year-old boy from Lambunao, a 20-year-old man from Dingle, an eight-year-old girl from Igbaras, a 41-year-old woman from Barotac Nuevo, a three-year-old girl from Banate, and a 10-year-old boy from Passi City.
“The threshold is one percent. We don’t want to reach one percent; 10 is very, very bad. The goal is always zero,” Defensor stressed.
The governor urged the public to seek medical consultation immediately to receive appropriate treatment and to avoid waiting until the situation worsens.
Defensor also reiterated the importance of keeping surroundings clean to prevent dengue, urging the community to eliminate mosquito breeding sites, such as tires on rooftops and containers that could collect water and serve as mosquito breeding grounds.
Editor’s Note: This article has been updated. Originally posted with the headline “Iloilo declares Dengue outbreak as cases soar.”
