A Hook and Gaze to June: The National Dengue Awareness Month
As rain enters the climate scene, there is more to be minded of. As rain pours, stagnant water
adds to the risks and burdens in the widespread of dengue for it will continue to affect communities and
countries globally. Amidst the current pandemic brought by COVID-19, dengue is another menace to the
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) specifically in the Philippines. Information
dissemination campaign, prevention and control programs are things to be empowered this month of
June- deemed as the National Dengue Awareness Month.
In a mere aspect, dengue has been a threat to human lives for more than decades. The fight
against it seeks social mobilization to avoid certain folding cases. This moved the ASEAN Health
Ministers on their meeting held last July 22, 2010 to observe ASEAN Dengue Day every 15th of June each
year. Earlier than this, the Philippine Government marked the same month as the National Dengue
Awareness on March 21, 1998. Based on the concept note of ASEAN Dengue Day 2019, the collective
efforts of the community in the ASEAN Regions allow the strengthening of the initiatives of the policy
makers in raising awareness on how to battle dengue and aiming the promotion of the effective and
efficient program controls for dengue mosquito courier. As identified, Aedes aegypti and Aedes
albopictus have been responsible for dengue. In addition, Aedes aegypti breeds in the artificial
containers while Aedes albopictus is in domestic containers.
Like the current situation in the health line, a disease like dengue, if not given an adequate strategic
prime prevention and control, the number of victims may rise in surprise. The World Health
Organization (WHO), Chan, M., released the Global Strategy for Dengue Prevention and Control 20122020 to reverse the alarming trend that dengue has been the known as the neglected tropical disease.
Henceforth, they have made global strategy. WHO further stated that in order to reverse the trend
there should be the commitment of the partner organizations such as countries involved in reducing the
burden brought by dengue through the implementation of the following strategies:
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Diagnosis and case management
Integrated surveillance and outbreak preparedness
Sustainable vector control
Future vaccine implementation
Basic operational and implementation research.
Meanwhile in the Philippines, the battle against dengue is challenging once the rainy season starts.
The Philippine National Red Cross’s Emergency Plan of Action for Dengue Outbreak dated July 24, 2019,
released that there is a massive increase in dengue cases. Thus, this urged the health department to
step up the technical strategies to prevent and control the alert to exceed in epidemic threshold for
some of its regions. A part of the preventive control is The 4S in Fighting Against Dengue known as
Search and Destroy, Self- Protection Measures, Seek Early Consultation and Say No to Indiscriminate
Fogging. Back then in 1997, Dominguez, Ma. N, highlighted that control measures for dengue were
instituted as necessary as cases were recorded as early as 1953 and to this recent times the status is set
as a threat.
The declaration of the dengue awareness month is the microcosm of the battle against the vectors
of the disease, the mosquitoes, that needs community- based approaches to be applied not just in local
mainstream but in ASEAN Countries.
Sources:
Chan, M., GLOBAL STRATEGY FOR DENGUE PREVENTION AND CONTROL 2012- 2020, WHO
Philippine Red Cross, Emergency Plan of Action (EPoA), Philippines: Dengue Outbreak, 2019
Dominguez, Ma. N., Current DF / DHF Prevention and Control Programme in the Philippines,
Dengue Bulletin- Vol 21, 1997
Concept Note Dengue Day 2019 , June 15, 2019