Despite the significant drop in new dengue cases, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. ordered the Department of Health (DOH) to closely monitor the situation as part of its continued efforts to safeguard the health of Filipinos.

Presidential Communications Undersecretary and Palace Press Officer Claire Castro attributed the significant decrease in new dengue cases to the prompt response of the DOH under its “Alas Kwatro Kontra Mosquito” campaign.

“Naging mabilis rin ang pagbibigay ng sapat na medical attention para sa mga dumudulog sa dengue fast lanes ng DOH hospitals,” said Castro during a briefing at Malacañan Palace on Friday.

Castro said that from 12,050 recorded dengue cases on March 2 to 15, the figure dropped to 9,289 from March 16 to 29.

Castro said that the government’s campaign encourages families, schools, and workplaces to clean potential mosquito breeding grounds daily at 4:00 PM. She echoed the DOH’s call for the public to maintain cleanliness and prepare now for the onset of the rainy season.

The DOH’s “Alas Kwatro Kontra Mosquito“ campaign involves “Taob, Taktak, Tuyo, Takip” as the four basic ways of cleaning and eliminating possible mosquito breeding grounds.

Castro said the government’s health education programs encouraged the public to have early medical consultations, which helped lower the fatality rate for dengue cases.

The DOH has noted the low case fatality rate (CFR) of 0.36 percent, or about four deaths per 1,000 dengue cases. | PND