Davao City keeps Malaria-Free Zone status

THE City Health Office (CHO), through the Tropical Disease Prevention and Control Unit, confirmed that the city maintained its status as a Malaria-Free Zone since 2021.Melodina Babante, program manager of the Tropical Disease Prevention and Control Unit, said in an interview with the Madayaw Davao Live on Friday, that to date, CHO has not recorded any local or indigenous cases from areas in the city where Malaria was endemic.Malaria is a life-threatening disease that spreads through the bites of some infected female Anopheles mosquitoes. It is preventable and curable, and does not spread from person to person.The symptoms of Malaria include fever, chills and headache. For severe cases, the infected individual may experience fatigue, confusion, seizures, and difficulty in breathing.It can be prevented by avoiding mosquito bites and through medication. Vector control is also a vital aspect in malaria control and elimination strategies as this is effective in preventing infection and reducing disease transmission. Interventions include distribution of treated mosquito nets and indoor residual spraying.Babante said that even after the city was declared Malaria-Free Zone in 2021, the CHO continued to conduct monitoring and surveillance activities in Paquibato and Marilog Districts, where malaria was endemic.“Every six months ang City Health Office naga-conduct mi og monitoring and surveillance sa mga areas nga ginatawag nato og endemic districts. Naga-conduct mi didto og mass blood survey, gina-examine namo ang mga tao didto nga didto nagapuyo through blood survey then nagahatag mi og mga vector control like mosquito nets distribution ug indoor residual spraying para maprotektahan ang mga tao didto (The City Health Office conducts monitoring and surveillance activities in the endemic districts every six months. We also conduct mass blood survey in the area where we examine the residents through blood survey, and we also do vector control like mosquito net distribution and indoor residual spraying to protect the people living in those areas),” she said.In line with the Malaria Awareness Month celebration in November, CHO also visited endemic areas to conduct interventions and ensure that Dabawenyos remain healthy and prevent the spread of Malaria.She also clarified that reported cases of malaria in the city were not indigenous or local in nature. Those patients acquired the disease outside the city. This is different from indigenous cases which are malaria cases acquired within the endemic areas in Davao City.The CHO also urged Dabawenyos to continue supporting its health and wellness programs and services as well as its disease prevention and control initiatives. CIO