Johaira Macacua-Ali, the Regional Dengue Program Coordinator at MOH-BARMM, emphasized their commitment to prioritizing training for health workers to accurately identify dengue signs and symptoms at the primary level, enabling timely intervention and resolution. Macacua-Ali participated in the Dengue Awareness Month kickoff program of the Marawi City Health Office on May 30, 2024. (Photo by DCC/PIA-10)
MARAWI CITY, Lanao del Sur (PIA) -- The Ministry of Health in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (MOH-BARMM) underscored the critical role of adequately trained health workers in effectively addressing dengue mortality.
Johaira Macacua-Ali, MOH-BARMM's Regional Dengue Program Coordinator, emphasized the significance of proper training for health workers in identifying dengue symptoms early, facilitating prompt treatment and intervention.
"Naintindihan namin na ang dengue pala ay kaya ng ating mga health worker kung sila ay nabigyan ng maayos na training. Kaya naman ngayon kami sa regional office, mas pinagtutuonan namin ng pansin ang training sa mga health workers natin, sa mga BHW [barangay health workers] natin, mga sanitary health inspector, mga nurse at doctor natin. Nakita namin na sa primary level o RHU [rural health unit] level pa lang, sa tamang pag-identify ng mga senyales at sintomas ng dengue, ay pwede pala natin siyang maagapan at pwedeng masolusyonan," she explained during the kickoff of the Dengue Awareness Month campaign here on May 30.
(We've realized that dengue can be effectively managed by our health workers if they are provided with proper training. That's why now, here at the regional office, we are prioritizing the training of our health workers, including our BHWs, sanitary health inspectors, nurses, and doctors. We've observed that even at the primary level or the RHU level, with the correct identification of dengue signs and symptoms, we can intervene early and address the case.)
With a renewed emphasis on training initiatives, Macacua-Ali revealed that a training session for sanitary inspectors is scheduled for this month, and a memorandum has been dispatched to provincial health offices in mainland areas of the BARMM to ensure their participation. The said training will include larviciding, spraying, and insecticiding techniques.
Macacua-Ali further stated that government medical technologists in BARMM are also set to undergo training on NS1 (non-structural protein 1) testing, underscoring the importance of early dengue diagnosis.
"On the primary level, kaya namang hindi mamatay yung pasyente sa dengue kapag nakita sa early stages pa lang," she added.
(At the primary level, dengue patients can be prevented from dying if the disease is detected in the early stages.)
From January to May of this year, Marawi City recorded 490 cases of dengue with five fatalities. (APB/PIA-10 Lanao del Sur)
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