DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/04 September) — Are dengue fever cases and
resulting deaths much higher than are currently being reported?
Why is nobody sounding the alarm bell on the current outbreak of
dengue fever now sweeping the country? Each year, tens of
thousands of cases of dengue go unreported and death rates,
mostly among children, are far higher than the national
statistical data collected and reported by the Department of
Health (DOH). Do we really know the true cost to the nation in
terms of young lives lost annually from this insidious mosquito
borne killer virus? Could we be better prepared to save more
lives with better information, clearer policies, improved
medical response, and more focussed community-based
interventions? Globally, 2.5 billion people live in areas where
the dengue virus is present. The emergence of dengue hemorrhagic
fever (DHF), which first starts with flu-like symptoms, was
first reported in epidemic outbreaks in the Philippines during
the 1950s. Since then, some 36 countries arou