Malaria cases closely watched in four Cordillera province in Philippines

Four Cordillera provinces are being closely watched by health authorities following the outbreak of malaria cases in some barangays.

Malaria cases were reported in Apayao, Kalinga, Abra, and Ifugao although the dreaded disease is not endemic in these area.

Cases of the disease were also noted in Mountain Province, the towns of Paracelis and Natonin.

Dr. Myrna Cabotaje, director of the Department of Health (DoH) in the Cordillera, said appropriate measures have been adopted to contain the spread of the disease.

Of the six Cordillera provinces, only Benguet has been declared malaria-free. No malaria case was recorded for one year in Benguet.

Earlier, the DoH central office had declared 22 provinces free from the dreaded malaria.

The provincial governments of Ifugao and Mountain Province and the DoH Cordillera office have agreed to establish inter-provincial health zones to avert the spread of the disease.

Under the agreement, the health zones are located in the towns of Alfonso Lista, Mayoyao, and Aguinaldo in Ifugao, and Natonin and Paracelis in Mountain Province.

The zones would be the focus of malaria-control services such as simultaneous fogging.

Malaria is a parasitic disease common in tropical and sub-tropical areas and is transmitted by the bite of a female anopheles mosquito.

Symptoms include periodic chills with fever, which may reach 41 degree Celsius. Malaria attack lasts about two hours, characterized by headache, muscular pain, and vomiting.

Cabotaje said the disease is treated by taking anti-malarial medication. It can be controlled by maintaining cleanliness of the environment.

She said the disease could be prevented by keeping surroundings clean and making sure breeding areas, usually stagnant water, are kept clean.

Vaccination is another way of preventing the spread of the disease. Residents in malaria-stricken areas should be vaccinated against the disease.

In the mid-1990s, the DoH recorded a series of malaria outbreaks in Kalinga and Apayao which claimed the lives of dozens of people. This was allegedly due to poor hygiene and sanitation.