The Department of Health (DOH) last week, declared a national dengue epidemic after the massive outbreak of the disease that caused the death of hundreds of people in the Philippines, as reported by Rappler.

According to their records, as of Tuesday, August 13, there are a total of 167,607 cases and 720 deaths nationwide – the most number of cases recorded in Southeast Asia.The age group reportedly worst affected by the outbreak are children below 10 years old.

Western Visayas had the highest number of cases with 23,330, followed by Calabarzon with 16,515, and Zamboanga Peninsula with 12,317.

Meanwhile, there has also been an increase in reported cases in 10 of the 17 local government units (LGU) in the National Capital Region (NCR) this year. The DOH recorded a total of 10,103 cases and 43 deaths in the whole region from January 1 to July 27, 2019. Dengue cases went up in the following cities: Las Piñas, Makati, Malabon, Mandaluyong, Muntinlupa, Navotas, Parañaque, Pasay, San Juan, and Taguig.

The dengue alert status declared last July was raised to epidemic to "level up the response" against the disease and allow LGUs to access their Quick Response Fund to handle the outbreak.

The department also launched the “Sabayang 4-o’clock Habit para Deng-Get Out,” a program that focuses on the destruction of mosquito breeding sites. Dengue-carrying mosquitoes lay their eggs in spaces that contain stagnant water, including gutters, trash cans, and vases among many others.

Health secretary Francisco Duque III told the public to remain alert to the threat of the virus by observing the 4s strategy, which consists of the following:

○      Search and destroy mosquito breeding places

○      Self-protective measures like wearing long sleeves and use of insect repellent

○      Seek early consultation on the first signs and symptoms of the disease

○      Say yes to fogging if there is an impending outbreak

We at Maria Health also advise investing in health cards that cover dengue, providing anyone infected access to the medical care they need when they need it. Our website houses a comprehensive list of plans from the country’s top health maintenance providers (HMO) offering different types of medical care.

For dengue, we recommend checking out the following plans:

My Maxicare Lite

 The My Maxicare Lite plans provide one-time hospital confinement coverage of up to P25,000 from over a thousand Maxicare-accredited hospitals for the starting price P1,999.

PhilCare Health Vantage

With the Health Vantage voucher, the beneficiary can have 1-year of emergency and hospitalization coverage including emergency room fees, doctor's professional fees, and medicine. Benefit limit starts at P40,000 for just P3,750 for adult plans.

PhilCare ER Vantage

The ER Vantage voucher gives the beneficiary one-time availment emergency and hospitalization coverage for acute cases of bacterial and viral infections and accidents. Benefit limit starts at P40,000 for only P1,050 for adult plans.

Investing in healthcare is now more accessible and affordable than it has ever been. Shop for one now by visiting https://mariahealth.ph/prepaid

Protect your family from viral and bacterial illnesses.