Student-leaders and administrators of the University of the Philippines Manila launched the “Defeat Dengue Day” (DDD) campaign on August 12, 2016 with the goal of controlling the incidence of dengue in the campus.
DDD is a campaign of the UP Manila University Student Council (USC) and the College of Public Health Student Council (CPH SC), with the support of the Office of the Chancellor.
Participants scoured the campus to locate the to-be eliminated current and possible breeding sites for denguecarrying mosquitoes. The identified sites will then be monitored regularly by a volunteer group of student organizations and administration personnel.
“Aware that prevention is better than cure, vector control becomes a key weapon to minimize disease outbreak. Research has shown that environmental management of dengue, a bottom-up community approach, is the most appropriate way,” said Diony Flores, CPH Representative to the USC and one of the event organizers.
Dengue is spread by the Aedes aegypti mosquito which breeds mainly in artificial water containers. Environmental management, especially in urban areas where such mosquitoes are prevalent, is considered an effective preventive measure. According to the Department of Health, the 200,415 dengue cases reported in the country in 2015 were a 65% jump from the previous year. The National Capital region registered the third highest number of cases.
DDD was also organized in cooperation with the different college student councils in the campus.
