DepEd, DOH, DSWD team up to combat dengue in schools nationwide

In its continued commitment to promote and provide a safer and healthier learning environment for Filipino learners, the Department of Education (DepEd) has joined forces with the Department of Health (DOH) and Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in battling dengue through the continued installation of insecticide-treated screens (ITS) in public schools during the launching of Brigada Para sa Kalinisan.

Brigada para sa Kalinisan aims to gather local community leaders, parents, and schools to work together in keeping the environment sanitized to prevent dengue in schools and communities. DOH has recently distributed 20,000 ITS rolls to selected public elementary schools in different parts of the country.

Education Secretary Br. Armin A. Luistro FSC has instructed its regional directors and school health nutrition personnel to coordinate with their respective DOH and DSWD regional counterparts in identifying schools in critical areas with high dengue incidence and schools that will receive the ITS.

Luistro encouraged the parents, teachers, and community leaders to participate in the school-wide cleaning program from November 2 to 8, 2015. “Kailangan nating pagtulungan ang paglaban sa dengue gaya ng pagtutulungan natin sa Brigada Eskwela. Hindi naman po ito magagawa sa isang lugar lamang, kailangang sabay-sabay," he added.

“Kung may brigada eskwela tayo, may brigada para sa kalinisan tayo. Sa pagtutulungan at pagkakapit-bisig, ang Brigada para sa Kalinisan ay magiging matagumpay,” DSWD Secretary Dinky Soliman said.

Health Secretary Janette Garin reminded the public of the 4S strategy—search and destroy mosquitoes, seek early consultation, self-protective measures and say no to indiscriminate fogging—in preventing Dengue in schools. She added, “Kung sama-sama tayo na lilinisin ang ating kapaligiran, kayang-kaya nating sugpuin ang Dengue.”

According to DOH’s data as of October 3, there is a total of 108,263 dengue cases reported nationwide this year. Most of the cases were from the 5 to 14 years age group.