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World Health Organization Chief Margaret Chan was disappointed that there was no deal made during the December Copenhagen Summit. She is well aware that health problems will be magnified under climate change.
In 2008, WHO warned that climate change was increasing the incidence of dengue fever and other infectious diseases in the country. That year, Health Secretary Francisco Duque cautioned that global warming may have contributed to a 43 percent rise in the number of dengue cases in the Philippines for the first half of the year. He noted that "The increase in the number of dengue cases may be attributed to the constantly changing climate brought by global warming as well as congestion in urban areas". (http://newsinfo.inquirer.net//breakingnews/nation/view/20080723-150255/
In 2009, the Department of Health (DOH) Regional Epidemiological Surveillance Unit reported a 42 percent rise in dengue cases in the region compared to the same period of January to October last year (Cebu Daily News (November 04, 2009) .
The upsurge in dengue is one of the clearest manifestations of climate change. In the past, dengue peaked only during the rainy season. However, the unpredictable weather condition brought about by climate change has made the deadly disease a year-round occurrence in our country.
It is dumbfounding also to know that the virus brought by the Aedes aegypti, the dengue-carrying mosquito, has mutated. The disease no longer follows a regular predictable pattern. The patients have different symptoms and responses. Being unpredictable, dengue can be treacherous. There is as yet no definite cure for it, although drinking mangagaw tea is a popular alternative healing practice in Cebu.
Ensuring that the patient is hydrated, close monitoring of vital signs and regular laboratory tests are most important.
Dengue is and can be an emotional roller coaster ride as it was for this writer and the family. Fresh from the revelry of the holidays and the sheer joy of diving in the waters of Cebu, our son complained of a general feeling of malaise and had severe head ache, cough and high fever. On the second day, the blood test result showed his platelet count had significantly dropped to below normal level.
Early treatment for dengue is crucial. Call parents who seek medical treatment right away as ?praning? (paranoid), but it is best not to take chances and rule out dengue, as the first symptoms appear, notably high grade fever. Decades back, the tourniquet test to detect its presence was done on the third day from the onset of the fever. Now, to wait that long might be too late.
It was sheer torture to wait for the laboratory test result and to know that the blood count is lower than the previous one. We are most fortunate to have supportive family and friends and stand-by donors, for any contingency. It eased the anxiety in no small measure. We are most grateful to many Good Samaritans who offered to donate blood, especially our son?s pre-screened stand-by donors, Mr. Archibald Nejudne and Michael de Vega, both students from the University of Cebu. We are thankful there was no need for transfusion. Our eternal gratitude likewise to my cousin and attending physician, Dr. Barbara Baisac, and the attentive team of doctors and nurses at Perpetual Succor Hospital.
It must be excruciatingly stressful for a family with very meager resources to have a sick child badly in need of various forms of medical assistance. I was told of a heart-wrenching incident in a community hospital where the parents of a dengue-patient decided to just bring their kid home because they simply cannot afford the hospitalization expenses. Is this the way to go for a lot of our people where fifty percent live below poverty level?
The significant increase of dengue cases should already merit urgent up-close and personal attention from the government, especially the local government units which are mandated to deliver efficient and responsive health services to their constituents. Spraying chemicals to destroy the mosquitoes? breeding place, with money taken from the calamity fund, is not the answer. It is even downright pathetic as it reveals lack of serious planning by the public sector to address the issue.
Is there a protocol being followed and, a close coordination between the LGUs, notably barangays, cities or municipalities and the hospitals, clinics and the Department of Health in measuring and monitoring the prevalence of the disease and in mapping out the areas of concern?
Do people have access to good health care in their own sitios and barangays? Giving away PhilHealth cards is not the answer. A good public health infrastructure is. This includes ?public health training, more effective surveillance and emergency response systems, and sustainable prevention and control programs.? (http://www.who.int/)
Considering that the virus can spread within the radius of 200 to 300 meters of an infected patient, we should not wait for a dengue epidemic to blow up in our face. We must prioritize its prevention and that of other diseases brought about by vectors. Education is a key component in the prevention and mitigation measures.
Stakeholders need to work together in inculcating a strong sense of responsibility among our people. Is each one aware that stagnant waters stored in an empty bottle cap carelessly thrown in the roadside can already be a perfect habitat for the disease-carrying mosquitoes? Students and faculty members of universities can also have a ready pool of blood donors for dengue patients who need them at the critical phase of the disease.
The warming of the global temperature definitely impacts our lives, livelihood and our health and that of the various species and our planet. It should not be seen as a battle royale between the environmental crusaders and the government focused more on economic, rather than, sustainable development. We should already initiate and participate in strategizing adaptation measures to enhance our capacity to deal with its numerous negative impacts. Let us move and act together, before earth-shaking events overtake us-again.
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THUMBS UP: During the forum on the proposed Plastic Bag Regulations Ordinance, a bill hibernating in the halls of the Cebu City Sangguniang Panlungsod, St. Theresa?s College committed to do the 5 R?s in waste management ? refuse, reduce, reuse, recycle and restore ? and as a first step, the students are required to bring their own set of eating utensils. A small thing perhaps, but a big leap in inculcating a mindset of resources conservation and eco-protection among the students. Congratulations to the STC management, faculty and students led by the dynamic Dean and dear friend, Dr. Cecilia G. Conaco. Mabuhay!
