by Gigi Dumallig

TABUK, Kalinga (2 October) -- Committed to effectively decrease the cases of dengue in the province, the Provincial Epidemiology Surveillance Unit (PESU) is giving more focus on environmental control as a method to eliminate dengue-carrying mosquitoes.

Despite the increasing number of dengue cases in several parts of the country, the PESU through Officer Mr. Jose Pardito Jr. reported that in Kalinga dengue cases have gone down from 325 reported cases in 2005 to 129 cases this year covering the period January to August.

"Kalinga is the only province that did not use any chemical intervention or fogging in the elimination of dengue carrying mosquitoes," Pardito said explaining that the cornerstone to having a long-term preventive measure is only through environmental management method.

This has proven to be more effective compared to the application of chemical or fogging which only creates false security among the people aside from its being expensive. Pardito added that they have long discouraged the use of fogging after observing that those who are using said method have been reporting the highest number of infection.

"To sustain the decreasing cases of dengue in the province, the Provincial Health Office (PHO) is continuously advocating for the intensification of the clean up drive campaign," he reiterated. Elimination of breeding sites of said mosquitoes is still the easiest, cheapest and most effective method to control dengue. Breeding sites could be any container containing stagnant clear water like tin cans, bottle, tires, coconut husk, small creeks and several others.

Meanwhile, Pardito said that the Local Government Units concerned should also take action and make the necessary ordinance to support the environmental control campaign to sustain a free-mosquito community. Only the municipality of Rizal was able to come up with an ordinance supporting the clean-up drive campaign and discouraging fogging.