REGULAR clean-up activity will drive dengue-carrying mosquitoes away.

Saying that the dreaded dengue illness is already a year-round concern, the Department of the Interior and Local Government has mobilized the country’s 42,000 barangay leaders to lead the implementation of clean up routines in their respective communities.

Through the Aksyon Barangay Kontra Dengue, all barangays are required to spearhead the program not only for healthy environment purposes but also to intensify the fight against the deadly dengue disease that already claimed thousands of lives.

Secretary Jesse Robredo enjoined city and municipal mayors to cause the enactment of an ordinance embodying measures on dengue prevention and control, as well as to allocate funds for dengue prevention and control subject to national and local rules and regulations.

Barangay health teams and barangay tanods will lead the activity along with volunteers and residents.

“If we really want zero-dengue incidence, this (clean-up activity) should be a regular activity in all barangays that should be participated in by residents and other concerned sectors,” Robredo said.

A  total of 25,533 dengue cases have been reported last year, which resulted to the death of 180 patients most of the victims were children ages 1 to 15 years old.

The Quezon City government said that although dengue cases in its area have gone down by almost 50 percent, the health department is still strictly monitoring three barangays which got the highest numbers of cases.

They are Barangays Tandang Sora, San Bartolome and Manresa.     Joel dela Torre