DAVAO CITY, November 23, 2015 – The Province of Davao Oriental was officially declared by
the Department of Health XI as the first and only province in the entire region
as a malaria-free zone.
At the awarding ceremony held on November 19, 2015 in Davao
City, DOH XI Regional Director Dr. Abdullah B. Dumama, Jr., lauded Davao
Oriental for this yet another unprecedented feat in terms of public health.
Based on a disease-free assessment criteria set by the
National Malaria Control and Elimination Program, Davao Oriental has achieved
zero cases of malaria for five consecutive years, which became the major basis
for this recognition.
Provincial Health Officer I, Dr. Joy Sanico said this status
was attained by Davao Oriental after years of efforts to control the disease.
She listed several strategies adopted by the Provincial
Health Office in fighting malaria, which include among others: early detection
and prompt treatment, case surveillance, capability-building among municipal
health workers, and increasing public awareness through extensive information,
education, and communication campaign, among many others.
She also highlighted the distribution of treated mosquito
nets and eliminating nesting grounds of mosquitoes as effective ways of
preventing the spreading of malaria disease. “In the prevention of diseases,
our actions should not be passive, they should be active,” said Sanico.
Sanico attributed this feat to the strong collaboration
between the stakeholders advocating in stamping out endemic diseases. Among
them are the Provincial and Municipal Health Offices, the DOH and
non-government organizations.
In addition, she also named the Philippine Army as an active
partner in helping reach remote areas – which are otherwise impossible to reach
by health workers. Aside from helping in the malaria program, the soldiers,
said Sanico, are active in the conduct of medical outreach programs,
construction of toilets in the communities, as well as in the conduct sputum
test for the early detection of tuberculosis cases, among others.
Meanwhile, aside from attaining zero malaria cases in a
five-year period, other basis in achieving a malaria-free status include a
functional laboratory, stocks of insecticides, equipment and other supplies
needed in times of outbreak.
Sanico said that eliminating the malaria burden is an impressive
achievement but the great challenge now lies in the sustainability of the
program in the communities.
She noted, however, that with the strengthened health
programs of the Provincial Government, under the leadership of Governor Corazon
N. Malanyaon, she is positive that this status will be sustained.
Other significant milestones attained by the province in
terms of health include achieving the lowest malnutrition rate in the region,
the construction of new Barangay Health Stations, and the establishment of a
sophisticated, state-of-the-art Davao Oriental Provincial Medical Center
equipped with facilities that cater the health needs of the poor constituents
of the province.
Other municipalities in Davao Oriental that also received
recognition as malaria-free include Caraga, Cateel, Governor Generoso,
Tarragona, and the City of Mati. The towns of Baganga, Banaybanay, Boston,
Lupon, Manay, and San Isidro, on the other hand, have maintained their
malaria-free status. (By Karen Lou Deloso/PIO DO)
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