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Philippines Situation Report 1 - Dengue Outbreak (16 July 2019)

Countries
Philippines
Sources
WHO
Publication date

Overview

With 106,630 dengue cases reported through the Philippines Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response (PIDSR) system from 1 January to 29 June 2019, including 456 deaths, the current dengue incidence is 85% higher than in 2018, in spite of a delayed rainy season. Whereas the Case Fatality Rate (CFR) of 0.43% as of 29 June 2019 is lower than in the same time period in 2018 (0.55%), this is still significantly higher than the regional average of 0.22% in the Western Pacific.

The Philippines Department of Health (DoH) declared a National Dengue Alert on 15 July 2019, urging regional DoH offices to step up dengue surveillance, case management and outbreak response in primary health facilities and hospitals, as well as through community and school-based health education campaigns, clean-up drives, surveillance activities, case investigations, vector control, and logistics support for dengue control (insecticides, RDTs, medicine, etc) in line with an Advisory on Dengue Preparedness and Outbreak Response issued earlier this year. The National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (NDRRMC), raised the code blue alert, activating the national Health Cluster, led by DoH.

Current Situation

Between 1 January to 29 June 2019, including 456 deaths were officially reported through the routine surveillance system from the DOH, with a CFR of 0.43% (see Table 1).

With a median age of 12 years, the most affected age group among dengue cases is 5-9 years (23%). Similarly, the most affected age group among dengue deaths is 5-9 years (39%). The majority of dengue cases are male (53%), whereas the majority of dengue deaths are female (52%).

Most affected regions are II, IVA, V, VI, VII, VIII, IX, II, BARMM and NCR. Iloilo, Capiz, Aklan, Antique and Guimaras provinces in Region VI declared an outbreak, with many municipalities seeking a state of calamity to access emergency funding to mobilise additional resources.