DoH warns vs hot weather diseases

By Red Mendoza

March 22, 2023 160

(UPDATE) THE Department of Health (DoH) has reminded the public to be extra careful to avoid diseases such as heat stroke, skin diseases and other common health problems associated with the dry season.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration has officially declared the start of the "dry" season, which is characterized by warm temperatures in different parts of the country.

In a media briefing on Tuesday, Health Officer in Charge Maria Rosario Vergeire said that the onset of the dry season will lead to health problems such as heat stroke.

She urged people who will go outside to wear hats or use umbrellas and avoid going out between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.

"We should not go outside of our homes during that time, but if we really have to go out, we should wear hats or bring umbrellas," Vergeire said.

She also urged the public to apply sun protection lotions for additional protection, and to drink enough water to prevent dehydration and heat exhaustion.

The official reminded those who will go to resorts to ensure that the water in the swimming pools are clean and free of bacteria.

"You can get ear infections, eye infections in these resorts that are not checked or are filthy. You can also get gastrointestinal disease," Vergeire said.

She called on local government units to inspect resorts if they follow the appropriate standards on water safety, quality and cleanliness.

DoH braces for new Covid spike

By Kristina Maralit

THE Department of Health (DoH) on Monday gave assurances that the country's health facilities are ready for any spike in coronavirus disease infections that may be triggered by the entry of the highly transmissible Omicron BQ.1 subvariant.

Fourteen cases of BQ1 have been recorded in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), Ilocos Region, Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon), Central Visayas, and the National Capital Region (NCR).

   

BQ1 is a sublineage of the BA-5 subvariant, is more transmissible than the other subvariants and is immune evasive.

A triage system and step-down facilities are now in place should there be an increase in the health care utilization rate.

The DoH said that sticking to health protocols and strengthening of the country's health surveillance on infectious diseases are still the best defense against the virus.

"Kaya ang mas importante talaga ay pigilan ang pagpasa sa virus para maiwasan ang pag-mutate nito. At lalong importante na laging handa ang ating health care system to respond to these emerging variants (It's important to stop the spread of the virus to prevent its mutation. And it's more important that our health care system is always ready to respond to these emerging variants)," DoH Officer in Charge Maria Rosario Vergeire said.

She gave assurances that available Covid-19 jabs are effective against the virus and provide an added layer of protection against infections.

Meanwhile, infectious disease expert Dr. Edsel Salvaña said a spike in Covid-19 cases is likely to be seen during the holiday season but that it would not be as high as the first Covid wave.

"Should there be a higher number of cases, it won't be as big, I don't think it will surpass 5,000 cases. And again, most of these cases will be mild and won't need hospitalization," Salvaña said in a press briefing.

"So, if ever the number goes up, it is because of the activity of the public during Christmas. I do not think it will be as dramatic as the number of cases that we saw last January, after Christmas. I think what will happen here, although there might be an increase (in cases), it will be minimal because many are already vaccinated," he added.

He urged the public to help keep the number of positive cases at manageable levels amid the relaxed policy on the wearing of face masks.

DoH braces for disease outbreaks

By Red Mendoza November 3, 2022 

Residents of Barangay San Juan-1 remove debris of thick mud from their houses due to deep flooding brought on by Typhoon Paeng in Noveleta, Cavite, on 31 October 2022. (PHOTO: MIKE ALQUINTO)

THE Department of Health (DoH) braced for an outbreak of diseases following the onslaught of Severe Tropical Storm "Paeng" (International name: "Nalgae").

DH Epidemiology Bureau director, Dr. Alethea de Guzman, said that with many families staying in evacuation centers, officials expect outbreaks of respiratory and flu-like cases, vector-borne disease ssuch as dengue and chikungunya, measles and rubella, skin diseases, and noncommunicable diseases such as hypertension.

She said that the DoH has prepared health education and promotion materials to prevent these diseases and prepositioned logisitics such as doxycycline for post-exposure prophylaxis; aquatabs; Campolas or Cotraximole, Amoxicillin, Mefenamic Acid, Paracetamol, Oral rehydration salts, Vitamin A, and Skin ointment; and hygiene kits.

Health Emergency Management Bureau director Dr. Bernadette Velasco said that prior to the landfall of Paeng, the DoH prepositioned nearly P104.72 million worth of assorted drugs, medicines, medical supplies and commodities.

Velasco said that the DoH has deployed nearly P7 million worth of medicines, medical supplies and hygiene kits to Western Visayas, in Mandurriao, Iloilo, and to the Ministry of Health of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao to Maguindanao Province and Cotabato City. 

In Tacloban City, a cholera outbreak killed five and afflicted 426 others, the DoH regional office said.

Of the 426 suspected cholera cases, 34 have been confirmed through the department's rapid diagnostic testing, Jelyn Lopez-Malibago, DoH regional information officer, said in a phone interview.

At least 213 individuals have been confined in public and private hospitals in the past two weeks.Confirmed deaths from severe diarrhea include a 12-year-old boy from Santo Niño village; a three-month-old boy from Abucay village; a 71-year-old man and a 68-year-old woman, both from Calvary Hill; and a three-month-old girl from Santo Niño village. Cases were also recorded in the villages of Palanog, San Roque, Diit, New Kawayan, downtown area, San Jose district, Utap, and Calanipawan.

Among the top diseases reported in evacuation centers in Western Visayas were skin diseases and open wounds and bruises, while the top diseases reported in hospitals in the same region were acute and upper respiratory infections and acute gastroenteritis.

Velasco gave assurances that there are enough medicines and other commodities to be deployed in the affected areas, while telemedicine services are also available through the DoH's partners or the National Patient Navigation and Referral Center (formerly the One Hospital Command Center).

4,000 to 8,000 daily Covid-19 cases by end of October if MPHS compliance further declines – DOH

by Dhel Nazario, Manila Bulletin 

The Department of Health (DOH) said on Monday, Oct. 19 that daily Covid-19 cases may reach 4,000 to as high as 8,000 by the end of the month should compliance with minimum public health standards (MPHS) further declines.

People flock to Ilaya in Binondo, Manila on Jan. 2, 2022. Metro Manila will be under Alert Level 3 starting Jan. 3 until Jan. 15, 2022 due to the rise of COVID-19 cases. (ALI VICOY / MANILA BULLETIN)

In a press briefing, Dr. Althea de Guzman, a medical specialist from the Department of Health (DOH) Epidemiology Bureau, said that based on their projections show that a continuous decline in minimum public health standards may lead to case increases.

She said that national daily cases projected using actual data, as of September 18 showed that cases detected at the national level are expected to follow a continuous slow downward trend with projections estimating cases at 1,204 cases per day by the end of October.

“However, a further decline in our MPHS compliance may reverse our trend with an increase in cases ranging from 4055 to as high as 8670 by the end of October,” she stated. She added that AuTuMN projections also show a similar trend. However, it emphasizes that even with case increases, severe and critical illnesses are not seen to exceed those previously observed during the Delta and Omicron spike.

De Guzman also mentioned that the emergence of a new variant may lead to a sharp increase in hospitalization at the beginning of 2023 in the National Capital Region (NCR).

DoH must function without permanent chief – Marcos

By Kristina Maralit, Manila Times

THE Department of Health (DoH), though still without a permanent head, "must be kept functioning," as it is not just the coronavirus disease the country needs to address but other public health and safety concerns, President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. said.

While he still has yet to make an appointment, Marcos said the government must ensure the country is ready to curb emerging threats from other diseases.

"We have to remember that the DoH is not about Covid-19 alone. It's about public health in general. So that's another side of it, and it's as important as Covid-19 is. The dengue rates are climbing. We also have the second-highest HIV rate of infections in the world," the Chief Executive told TV host-actress Toni Gonzaga in their one-on-one interview.

"TB is coming back. These are things that we have to attend to," he added.

In the case of monkeypox, while other countries have had a surge in infections, the Philippines remains "OK," and he has already sat down with DoH executives "about the acquisition of the monkeypox vaccine."

PH now has over 118K dengue cases—DOH

THE Aedes Aegypti mosquito that transmits dengue.

by Analou de Vera, Manila Bulletin

The Philippines continue to see a rise in dengue cases as it already recorded more than 118,000 cases since the start of this year.

A total of 118,526 dengue cases across the country were already logged from Jan. 1 to Aug. 6, as shown in the latest data of the Department of Health (DOH).

This figure is 153 percent higher compared to the 46,761 dengue cases reported during the same period last year.

Most of the dengue cases were recorded in Central Luzon with 21,242, Central Visayas with 11,363, and Metro Manila with 10,937.

Deaths related to dengue also stood at 399. This is higher compared to the 167 fatalities recorded during the same period last year.

Most of the deaths were logged in Central Visayas with 68, Western Visayas with 51, and Central Luzon with 41.

The DOH continuously reminded the public to practice the 4s strategy against dengue.

These 4S strategy consists of: search and destroy mosquito breeding places, secure self-protection, seek early consultation, and support fogging/ spraying only in hotspot areas where increase in cases is registered for two consecutive weeks to prevent impending outbreak, the DOH said.

10 regions seeing spike in dengue cases

 File photo

TEN out of the 17 regions in the country have shown an increase in dengue cases, based on the data of the Department of Health (DOH).

In a statement Friday, June 10, 2022, majority of regions have recorded more dengue cases compared to the numbers in 2021.

"Ten out of the 17 regions showed increasing cases of dengue," said the DOH.

The regions are Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Mimaropa, Bicol Region, Western Visayas, Central Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula, Davao Region, Cordillera Administrative Region and Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

Overall, the DOH said there were 34,938 dengue cases reported from January 1 to May 21, 2022.

DoH launches smoke-free beaches campaign

Health Secretary Francisco Duque 3rd. File Photo

By Red Mendoza, Manila Times

IN celebration of World No Tobacco Day, the Department of Health (DoH) has launched a campaign that promotes smoke-free beaches, parks, and tourist destinations across the country, starting in Boracay Island and in Aklan province.

The campaign, which is in collaboration with Viral Strategies and Smoke Free Philippines, aims to showcase tourist destinations as pilot areas for smoke-free beaches.

The Smoke-Free Beaches campaign will begin at Station 2 in Boracay, before moving to other premiere beach destinations and beaches such as in Caramoan and in Palawan.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque 3rd said the initiative was developed to protect beaches, parks and tourist destinations from the environmental ill-effects of tobacco.

"With this, we hope to further raise awareness and create new areas of impact in our overall effort to ensure the health of the Filipino people," Duque added.

He hopes that the campaign will unify the goal of the DoH in providing universal health care, which also includes "giving families an environment that lets them enjoy healthily without exposure to the harmful effects of second-hand smoke."

Around 4.5 trillion cigarettes become waste and 4.2 million cigarette butts end up in beaches and waterways. Moreover, according to global tobacco industry watchdog Stopping Tobacco Organizations and Products (STOP), plastic and chemical contents in cigarette filters have been shown to destroy marine life and water quality.

In a related story, 321 pairs of shoes and slippers were displayed at the main lobby of the Lung Center of the Philippines to commemorate 321 Filipinos who die every day due to tobacco-related diseases.

The art installation signified the call to have stronger tobacco control legislation in order to save more lives.

Dr. Jessica Catalan-Legarda, chairman for advocacy of the Lung Center of the Philippines, said there should be an ecosystem of policies that would make it easier for Filipinos to quit the "deadly habit of smoking."

"Raising taxes on tobacco products and banning their advertising, promotions, and sponsorships are just some of the policies needed to create a healthier environment for Filipinos," she added.

Dr. Glynna Ong-Cabrera, project director of the DoH Quitline program, said that quitting smoking is not just a matter of personal responsibility, noting that tobacco companies continue to sell and market these products.

She added that tobacco products are designed to make it difficult for smokers to quit, which could put them at risk in developing tobacco-related diseases that could lead to death.

DOH: Gov't still studying return to 'new normal' Alert Level 1 by March

 Commuters disembark from a train at a station in Manila on Feb. 16, 2022

By Philstar.com

MANILA, Philippines — With cases around the country going down and vaccination numbers rising, the national government is preparing to shift to Alert Level 1 or the “new normal,” the head of the One Hospital Command Center said Sunday. 

Speaking in an interview aired over DZBB Super Radyo, health undersecretary and treatment czar Leopoldo Vega said that the IATF would mull a shift to Alert Level 1 once more by end-February. The Department of Health has since taken the position that the public will "have to move on and live with the virus."

What will 'new normal' look like? Full capacity at venues but face masks stay on

"We are still looking at the metrics now and they are good, although they are looking good... under Alert Level 1, almost everything is normal but that doesn't mean the virus is gone," he said in Filipino, adding that the relaxing of restrictions should still be done gradually.

"If we are to be downgraded to Alert Level 1, we must have flexible plans in case we are returned to Alert Level 2... We must have something like 'infection forecasting.'"

As of this writing, 80.7 percent of Metro Manila is fully vaccinated. Vega pointed out, however, that only around 20 percent of the Bangsamoro region are fully inoculated. 

"Our next target is 80% of the population at 80 million by June," he said. "There are still some parts of Mindanao that are still difficult to vaccinate after Typhoon Odette."

Trend still downward: OCTA

In a tweet, Dr. Guido David, a fellow of the independent pandemic monitor OCTA Research, noted that the coronavirus numbers in Metro Manila have been "nearly flat the past 3 days."

"Numbers in the NCR are not decreasing as fast as what we wanted...but this should not be a cause for concern," he said. 

The Department of Health reported just 1,923 cases of COVID-19 on Saturday afternoon, only 392 of which were from the National Capital Region. "This shows that the trend is still downward," David said. 

Of that number, 74 cases were from the City of Manila while 67 were from Quezon City. Parañaque also had 41. No other city in the Metro breached 40 cases. 

A number of Metro Manila's COVID-19 indicators — namely the reproduction number and healthcare utilization rate — were classified as "very low" as of Friday. 

Of note, the positivity rate as of February 18 was at a moderate risk six percent, getting close to the World Health Organization's recommendation of five percent for opening economies. 

Among provinces and regions in the country, Cebu and Davao Del Sur recorded 131 and 101, respectively. No other area had more than 100. 

— Franco Luna 

Metro Manila now down to 'moderate' risk COVID-19 case classification—DOH

The Department of Health (DOH) said that Metro Manila is now under the “moderate” risk classification after a decreasing trend of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases was observed in recent days.

“Moderate-risk na po ang NCR (National Capital Region) kahapon pa. Bumababa na po ng husto ang ating mga kaso at nakarating na tayo sa moderate case classification (NCR is now at moderate-risk since yesterday. The cases are declining significantly and we have reached the moderate case classification),” said DOH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire during the Malacanang press briefing on Friday, Jan. 28.

(C) 2022 Manila Bulletin

DOH sees community transmission of Omicron in Metro Manila

By: Xave Gregorio - Philstar.com

Passengers present their vaccination cards to personnel upon entry at the Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange (PITX) in Tambo, Parañaque City on Thursday, Jan. 13, 2022. The Department of Transportation has started implementingn a "no vaccination, no ride" policy on public transportation throughout Metro Manila.

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Health said Saturday that there is community transmission of the highly infectious Omicron variant in Metro Manila, the epicenter of the latest surge in infections in the country that is reaching unprecedented highs.

“We are seeing community transmission of the Omicron variant here in the National Capital Region,” Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said in Filipino over state-run People’s Television.

DOH: Philippines now at 'critical risk' for COVID-19.

Community transmission means that an infectious disease has spread extensively in a group of people, so much so that the source of the infection can no longer be traced.

“While our whole genome sequencing is lagging behind, we have already determined that there are local cases,” Vergeire said, adding that current COVID-19 trends in the country are “characteristic” of an Omicron-driven wave.

The Philippines has so far detected 43 cases of the Omicron variant, which is believed to be driving the steep increase in COVID-19 infections. Meanwhile, there are 8,497 cases of the Delta variant in the country.

While whole genome sequencing has been slow, the Health Secretary Francisco Duque III has declared that Omicron is now the dominant variant in the country, outpacing the Delta variant that previously drove a surge in cases beginning in August 2020.

From January 6 to 12, Metro Manila logged 83,649 cases — the highest ever in a week — according to preliminary data from the Department of Health.

The new wave of infections, suspected to be driven by the highly infectious Omicron variant, started out in Metro Manila and is now beginning to spread outside of the capital region, prompting the government’s pandemic task force to tighten coronavirus curbs in most of the country.

But Vergeire said that the DOH is still not seeing the peak of coronavirus cases, even after new infections hit an all-time high on Friday, when health authorities reported 37,207 new cases.

“We are still yet to see the peak which may happen at the end of the month or even later in the second week of February,” she said, adding that active cases may even double by next month.

21,819 new COVID-19 cases, highest since September 2021

Patients and their companions crowd outside Amang Rodriguez Medical Center in Marikina City as they wait to be admitted to the hospital on Monday, Jan. 3, 2022 as the Philippines records a sharp increase in COVID-19 cases at the start of the year.

By Walter Bollozos, Philippine Star

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Health on Friday logged 21,819 new COVID-19 infections — the highest single-day tally since September 18 last year — pushing the total to 2,910,664 cases.

The Philippines is seeing a sharp increase in new COVID-19 cases in the past week driven by the more infectious Omicron variant as well as increased mobility and laxness in observing safety protocols over the holidays.

The DOH also recorded 129 new fatalities and 973 additional recoveries.

63% cases from Metro Manila

Of the new infections logged on Friday, 63% or 13,634 were traced to Metro Manila. Calabarzon region saw 4,129 new cases (19%) while Central Luzon logged 2,084 (10%) additional infections.

The DOH bulletin also showed that the positivity rate is at 40%, meaning two out of every five people tested were positive for COVID-19.

Utilization rates of Intensive Care Units, isolation and ward beds nationwide also continue to rise.

The DOH bulletin showed that 32% of ICU beds, 35% isolation beds and 31% of ward beds across the country are currently being used. In Metro Manila, where majority of the new cases are traced, 48% of ICU beds, 47% of isolation beds and 59% of ward beds are in use.

The national government on Thursday night placed five more provinces and nine cities — on top of Metro Manila and four nearby provinces — under Alert Level 3 until January 15.

Facebook, Google, TikTok, Twitter express support for DOH’s campaign vs COVID-19 misinformation

by Analou de Vera, Manila Bulletin

Technology companies Facebook, Google, TikTok, and Twitter expressed their support to the campaign against misinformation on coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and vaccines, the Department of Health (DOH) said on Wednesday, April 7. 

The DOH on Wednesday launched “Check the FAQs”  campaign that emphasizes the “importance of accurate information in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic and encourage the public to fact-check information that they come across.”

“Playing an important role in championing media literacy on vaccines, Facebook, Google, TikTok, and Twitter have committed to support the campaign which includes helping build awareness for the initiative,” the DOH said in a statement. 

“As COVID-19 vaccination becomes top priority across the globe, we must also race to fight disinformation and misinformation surrounding COVID-19 vaccines and the pandemic. Spreading the right information can save lives,” said Beverly Lorraine Ho, director of the DOH’s Disease Prevention and Control Bureau and the Health Promotion Bureau. 

The DOH said that a “Check the FAQs” page on its website was put up in order  for “Filipinos to have a source of trustworthy information about COVID-19 and its vaccines.”

“Whenever you see or hear new information, we encourage everyone to #ChecktheFAQs. With the campaign and by promoting this single message on social media platforms, we hope to urge every Filipino to always verify any information regarding the vaccines they may come across,”  said Ho. 

Facebook  will “make it easy for people to find authoritative COVID-19 and vaccine information” among its users, said Facebook Philippines’ Public Policy Head Clare Amador. 

“Since the beginning of the pandemic, we’ve connected over 2 billion people to resources from health authorities through our COVID-19 information center and pop-ups on Facebook and Instagram. We are also taking action against accounts that break our COVID-19 and vaccine rules—including reducing their distribution or removing them from our platform. While misinformation is complex and always evolving, we continue using research, teams, and technologies to tackle it in the most comprehensive and effective way possible,” she said. 

Google, meanwhile, committed to protect its platforms from “misinformation and connecting more people to information they can trust,” said Google Philippines Director Bernadette Nacario.

“That includes taking down harmful and misleading content across our products, raising authoritative information on Search and YouTube, providing ad grants, and supporting quality news reporting on vaccines,” said Nacario.

“Globally, more than 700,000 videos related to dangerous or false COVID-19 information have been removed and our information panels on YouTube have been viewed 400 billion times, making them a valuable source of credible information,” she added. 

Misinformation and disinformation that continue to spread about immunization can cost lives, said  Kristoffer Rada, TikTok Philippines Head for Public Policy.

“At TikTok, we are committed to minimizing the spread of potentially misleading COVID-19 vaccine content. We take the responsibility of helping counter inauthentic, misleading or false information. To combat these, we’ve collaborated with fact-checking partners to determine whether the content shared on the platform is false,” said Rada. 

Twitter, meanwhile, has committed to protect the public’s conversation with regards to COVID-19, said Twitter Southeast Asia Head of Public Policy, Government and Philanthropy Monrawee Ampolpittayanant.

“We also recently implemented new policies to apply labels to the Tweets that may contain misleading information surrounding COVID-19, in addition to our continued efforts to remove it,” said Ampolpittayanant.

 

DOH asks public to stop smoking to prevent spread of COVID-19

By Janine Peralta, CNN Philippines

Smokers made up more than 25 percent of COVID-19 patients in China who were in the intensive care unit and in need of ventilators, DOH warned.

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines) — The Department of Health on Wednesday urged the public to stop smoking as smokers and vapers are at greater risk of contracting the deadly COVID-19.

The DOH stressed that smokers are vulnerable to the complications brought by the novel coronavirus.

“Dahil po rito pinapakiusapan namin ang mga smokers na huminto na sa paninigarilyo para sa inyong kapakanan at kalusugan” said Dr. Beverly Ho, special assistant to Health Secretary Francisco Duque in an online briefing.

[Translation: Because of this, we are asking smokers to stop smoking for your protection and health.]

The department cited data from China stating that more than 25 percent of COVID-19 patients in the East Asian country who either died, needed more ventilators or were housed in intensive care units, were smokers. DOH also urged the public to avoid inhaling secondhand smoke.


Smoking weakens the body, the agency said, making it sensitive to respiratory ailments such as colds, which are also linked to COVID-19. Flu-like symptoms such as high fever, coughs and sneezing are considered red flags for the viral infection.

According to the World Health Organization, cigarettes also increase the risk of hand-to-mouth transmission of the virus.

Health officials around the world have repeatedly emphasized the importance of keeping your hands off one's face and washing them with soap. This is because viruses that affect the respiratory system often enter the body through nose and lips. On the other hand, washing hands with soap kills off the bacteria.

Exhaling smoke also aids in spreading the virus in the air, DOH said. COVID-19 is spread through small droplets from the nose or mouth when people infected with the virus cough or sneeze.

Another way to protect oneself from contracting the disease is by wearing masks or face covers. The government has already mandated this practice in Luzon.

However, the WHO has stood firm against putting on masks unless the person is sick. WHO said that due to a looming shortage, the medical frontliners must be given priority to access protective gear.

Be Again On Guard Against Dengue

The Philippines' weather bureau predicts the onset of the rainy season now. The usually rainy season is six months in the Philippines - from June to November each year. With rains comes flooding, along with threat of illnesses such as dengue fever.

We are all advised here to be vigilant against dengue, a perennial health problem, prevalent in tropical countries such the Philippines. Anyone can fall ill with dengue fever any time during the year but the number of patients increases during the raining season. The dengue-carrying mosquito  called AEDES AEGYPTI, which is black with white spots, lays eggs in clear waters found in flower vases, cans, bamboo husks, empty soft drink bottles, rain barrels, and old rubber tires. Left undetected and treated, dengue could lead to a number of complications.

An expert warned against a "secondary mosquito species - the AEDES ALBOPICTUS - as a possible dengue risk. The forest area at Mount Makiling in Laguna is said to be the natural habitat of this specie. The Department of Health is conducting further studies to validate the threat from this "secondary mosquito species".

The first quarter of 2012 registered a 28.96 percent drop in dengue cases, mostly in Metro Manila - from 23.241 cases in the same period last year, to 16.511 cases this year.

BUT, be on guard as there is no treatment, cure, or vaccine for dengue. A way to prevent it is to maintain clean surroundings to eliminate breeding sites. Prevention involves regular clean up, fogging, spraying of insecticides and larviciding. Clothing, mosquito repellent, and netting can held reduce exposure.

Energy Savings - A Dream?

Since being connected with the DOST Regional Office XI as consultant, one project really caught my attention: the DREAM Team services. 

People indeed get very much excited about their saving accounts earning interests. But, the Department of Science and Technology has seen a better idea to invest into something that earns three or five times that of bank interests. You know how?

An "energy audit" is a good first step toward realizing those money savings by making your place more energy efficient, as one could learn from the dost XI Public Service Announcement. Many industrial establishments nowadays are becoming more and more conscious of their energy usage due to increased energy costs. In response to these needs, the Davao Region Energy Audit and Management (DREAM) Team can help the industries in the region in setting energy conservation goals, identify areas where energy wastes can occur or recommend energy saving opportunities - just to mention two among many others.

An audit can show how to save electricity. Or, how about the air condition system or the many costly gaps around doors and windows?

By the way, the DREAM Team is a multi-agency group with members from the Institute of Integrated Electrical Engineers, the Bureau of Fire Protection, the University of Southeastern Philippines (where I am also teaching!), the University of Mindanao and the DOST Regional Office XI.

I am pretty sure, that a big number of companies will be interested to avail the DREAM Team services. Engineer Benjamin V.D. Estrelladao, the DREAM Team Focal Person, is looking forward to your calls (Davao 082 - 221 5428): from companies, and, of course, also from private house holds.

The DOST XI Energy Audit Team is now ready to serve the region. Happy savings!

Wellness and Medical Tourism in The Philippines

Since living in the Philippines for good, I have always observed the country's world-class physicians, very often a modern technology and the so very true brand of caring and compassion of Filipinos. no wonder that wellness and medical tourism in the Philippines is becoming more and more important as the country positions itself as a premier gloabl destination.

One thing is very clear: the pool of foreign tourist patients and health buffs in the Philippines is increasing dramatically. The Philippine Department of Tourism (DOT) is doing well, pushing tour operators to develop more medical and wellness tourism packages. that will cater to the growing number of foreign patients visiting this country nowadays and in the future. 

I am not sure if this will materialize: The DOT honestly expects the Philippines  to corner a total of three billion US$ (!?) from the global medical tourism industry by 20154, if more or less 200,000 foreign patients arrive here annually. I wish these will figures really become true - for the sake of the Philippines. 

Of course, the innate hospitality of the Filipinos is very well-known, but health care providers should also constantly upgrade their facilities to be at par with world-class standards. 

Mabuhay , and welcome to the Philippines!

TAWA-TAWA - In Fight Versus Dengue

A weed known as tawa-tawa has become a serious matter for the Department of Health in the Philippines (DOH), which is now considering the proposalsof herbalist and former health secretary Jaime Galvez Tan to fund a research on the plant as possible panacea to the fatal bleeding among dengue victims.

I experienced already eight dengue victims in my surroundings during the last months. Tawa-tawa and Durian (the fruit which smells hell but tastes heaven!) have been described by all doctors.

The weed Tawa-tawa is said to prevent hemorrhaging by normalizing platelet count in the blood. According to the latest DOT reports, dengue cases in the Philippines already breached the 90,000 mark. 

During a press-conference during a launch here of a two-day Generic Medicine Expo for Luzon, one could learn from Health Assistant Secretary elmer Punzalan about a joint project of the DOH and the National Center for Pharmaceutical Access and Management, in partnership with SM Prime Holdings Inc.

Tawa-tawa, scientifically known as "Euphorbia hirta" has been also experienced with the side effect encouraging frequent urination, that could lead to dehydration. 

Also other natural remedies, such as all red, orange and yellow-colored natural fruit juices, which are rich in antioxidants, and vitamins A and C could boost immunity against the dengue virus. 

Guys - stay safe always!

Dengue - and no end!

While being back in Davao I received another interesting PNA-message from Iloilo City about predators' disappearances blamed for dengue rise - not ONLY in the Philippines.

An environmentalist lawyer, who has been assigned by the Integrated Bar of the Philippines Iloilo chapter to assist the city government in prosecuting violators of environmental laws, has cited the disappearance of natural predators as one major setback in the fight against the spread of dengue fever.

Attorney Daniel Dinopol said natural predators in the barangays - such as frogs, insects and specially spiders - are fast disappearing. These could have helped in the battle against dengue, he said.

Honestly, I am always glad and happy to find spiders and frogs in my wild natural tropical garden here in the Philippines.

Listen to this: Dinopol said the friendly insects and spiders are part of the natural environmental cycle that kill the dengue-carrying mosquitoes, especially in stagnant and water-clogged areas. The spiders spun its web to trap the flying mosquitoes while frogs and other insects prey on the mosquito larvae as their food.

The lawyer also said the situation is further aggravated by the unrestricted use of pesticide that also killed spiders and other environmental-friendly insects. The Department of Environment and Natural resources and the Department of Agriculture should take steps in restricting the killing of these friendly insects, especially the spiders.

Dengue in The Philippines Getting More Worst!

More then 62,000 people in the Philippines got sick with dengue during the last eight months, according to the Department of health. But, health secretary Enrique Ona said the DOH is on top of the problem and there is no epidemic disease in the country. Not yet!

Cagayan officials placed two days ago the city under a state of calamity following their declaration of a dengue outbreak due to the sudden rise in dengue fever cases in the past two months, here. Tuguegarao City reported 323 dengue cases during the first eight months 2010. 

In Carmona, Cavite, anti dengue brigades have been formed in schools. Mayor Dahlia Loyola, a doctor by profession, and the municipal health officials started to mobilize the schoolchildren in the fight against dengue. Municipal health officials and personnel are training the children in safeguearing their schools and communities. And not only in Cavite... .

Of course, the deadly bite is coming from mosquitoes. And the thing is: a total eradication of them is indeed impossible, because they are part of biodiversity. The WHO (World Health Organisation) in the 1950s actually aimed for the eradication of mosquitoes, and the diseases they carry - as we could learn from Philippine Council for Health Research and Development Executive director Jaime Montoya. But what happened? The WHO didn't succeed. In 20 years time they just changed it "to control"... .

Prevention is the only chance to fight against mosquito bites... .