By: Vic Larato
ZAMBOANGA CITY, May 23, (PIA) - - Another child from the Dacon Homes in Recodo died of
dengue Monday, bringing to 12 the death toll of the dengue hemorrhagic fever
since January to present.
It can be recalled, Mayor Celso Lobregat
declared a dengue outbreak in the city last May 10.
City Health Officer Dr. Rodel Agbulos
announced this yesterday, saying that for this month of May alone three
children have died of dengue-- May 9 in Latap, May 10 in Tumaga and May 21 in
Recodo.
CHO record also showed that the Dacon Homes
in Recodo has so far registered 5 deaths since March 6.
It can be recalled, Mayor Lobregat upon the
recommendation of CHO declared an outbreak of the deadly disease last May 10 in
the city following the reported 774 dengue cases with 9 fatalities from January
1 to April 30, this year. Massive cleanup has already been conducted in all
barangays.
Meanwhile, Dr Agbulos told teachers and
students of Zamboanga City High School Main during their Brigada Eskwela
activity yesterday that Zamboanga City has had four dengue outbreaks over the
past nine years.
“Many things have been done doping that the
outbreaks will no longer come back, until May 10, 2012 the mayor once again
declared dengue outbreak in our city that we love most,” Agbulos said, citing
the present statistics of almost 900 cases since January with 12 deaths (as of
yesterday) and counting.
Aside from dengue, the city health officer
said, Zamboanga City is faced with another scourge, the HIV-AIDS, of which the
Philippines has registered the highest number of cases (300 cases) in March 2012.
“Actually, all these are attributed to many
reasons that we sometimes cannot even explain. The important thing that we have
to do now is to be very vigilant and concentrate on the basics,” he told the
ZCHS Main teachers and students headed by their principal Dr. Feliza Munar.
Dr. Agbulos likewise called on the ZCHS
Main teachers and students to practice appropriate hygiene behavior in school,
stressing that the availability of clean water and sanitation facilities allow
people to transform intention to change into real change. (JPA/VL/CIO/PIA9-ZBST)