By Alma L. Tingcang
PAGADIAN CITY – Zamboanga del Sur became the 47th province to support the Biyaheng Kulambo Campaign when the governor signed the manifesto of support on Wednesday, August 15 signifying his commitment to help eradicate malaria in this part of the country.
With the theme, “Saving Lives, Preventing Death and Sustaining Investment for Malaria,” the Biyaheng Kulambo (Traveling Net) campaign has gone all over the country and will make its final stopover in Olongapo City.
“I hope that this partnership with the local government units, Department of Health and Pilipinas Shell Foundation Inc. (PSFI) will be successful - successful in the sense that finally, it would end cases of malaria. And I join the rest of the LGUs in addressing this problem,” Governor Antonio H. Cerilles said as he pinned the provincial seal on the Kulambo.
He also proposed that aside from BHWs to help in the campaign, livelihood coordinators will be trained being at the frontline to reach the grassroots level of society.
Mary Anne Lim Santerva, cluster head of ZamPen Movement Against Malaria- PSFI said the program was supposed to cover only 40 endemic provinces, but they intend to cover all the 81 provinces of the country to ensure that the Philippines will be malaria-free by 2020.
Later in the afternoon, a media forum was held at Roxan Hotel. Joining Santerva were Solomon Perez , regional malaria coordinator; Charlou Peligro, provincial malaria coordinator – PSFI and his counterpart from the integrated provincial health office, Artemio Delda.
Santerva said the program provides medicines and net for protection. “It is not an ordinary net. It is treated with medicine, harmful to insects but guaranteed harmless to humans,” she said. She clarified that the nets can be washed for 20 times and recommended for it to be washed every quarter. These nets are made in Europe, while others are made in Japan and Thailand.
A total of 95,000 nets were already distributed in Zamboanga del Sur in the municipalities of Bayog, Lakewood, Dinas, Tigbao, Margos, Labangan, Midsalip and Dumingag.
Posting significant gains, the program is said to have a tremendous impact in the eradication of malaria. From 608 cases in 2005, it went down to only eight in 2011 and figure shows that only six cases have been reported in 2012.
Through the collaborative efforts of the Department of Health, PSFI, the local government units, the media and the community, achieving the goal of becoming a malaria-free country by 2020 is not far off, in fact, it may be earlier than expected.
Malaria is an infectious disease caused by a parasite called Plasmodium and spread by the female Anopheles mosquitoes, which are said to be night-biting mosquitoes. It first infects the liver causing symptoms that include fever and headache, and in severe cases, progressing to coma or death. (JPA/ALT-PIA9/Zambo Sur)
With the theme, “Saving Lives, Preventing Death and Sustaining Investment for Malaria,” the Biyaheng Kulambo (Traveling Net) campaign has gone all over the country and will make its final stopover in Olongapo City.
“I hope that this partnership with the local government units, Department of Health and Pilipinas Shell Foundation Inc. (PSFI) will be successful - successful in the sense that finally, it would end cases of malaria. And I join the rest of the LGUs in addressing this problem,” Governor Antonio H. Cerilles said as he pinned the provincial seal on the Kulambo.
He also proposed that aside from BHWs to help in the campaign, livelihood coordinators will be trained being at the frontline to reach the grassroots level of society.
Mary Anne Lim Santerva, cluster head of ZamPen Movement Against Malaria- PSFI said the program was supposed to cover only 40 endemic provinces, but they intend to cover all the 81 provinces of the country to ensure that the Philippines will be malaria-free by 2020.
Later in the afternoon, a media forum was held at Roxan Hotel. Joining Santerva were Solomon Perez , regional malaria coordinator; Charlou Peligro, provincial malaria coordinator – PSFI and his counterpart from the integrated provincial health office, Artemio Delda.
Santerva said the program provides medicines and net for protection. “It is not an ordinary net. It is treated with medicine, harmful to insects but guaranteed harmless to humans,” she said. She clarified that the nets can be washed for 20 times and recommended for it to be washed every quarter. These nets are made in Europe, while others are made in Japan and Thailand.
A total of 95,000 nets were already distributed in Zamboanga del Sur in the municipalities of Bayog, Lakewood, Dinas, Tigbao, Margos, Labangan, Midsalip and Dumingag.
Posting significant gains, the program is said to have a tremendous impact in the eradication of malaria. From 608 cases in 2005, it went down to only eight in 2011 and figure shows that only six cases have been reported in 2012.
Through the collaborative efforts of the Department of Health, PSFI, the local government units, the media and the community, achieving the goal of becoming a malaria-free country by 2020 is not far off, in fact, it may be earlier than expected.
Malaria is an infectious disease caused by a parasite called Plasmodium and spread by the female Anopheles mosquitoes, which are said to be night-biting mosquitoes. It first infects the liver causing symptoms that include fever and headache, and in severe cases, progressing to coma or death. (JPA/ALT-PIA9/Zambo Sur)