Prevent dengue in schools- DepEd
CTES stakeholders shield school against dengue

DEPARTMENT of Education (DepEd) directed schools all over the archipelago to prevent the spread of the mosquito-borne disease Dengue H-fever after it hit more than 80 thousand cases, of which more than 5000 were cases reported by schools from January to September this year.

With the alarming development of the disease, DepEd Secretary Armin Luistro urged each school to support the 4-S strategy which stands for Search and destroy, Self-protection measures, Seek early consultation, and Say “NO” to indiscriminate fogging waged by the Department of Health (DOH) as the main source of protection against the day-biting Aedes aegypti.

“By practicing the 4-S strategy of DOH, particularly keeping the surroundings clean and making sure that there is no stagnant water where mosquitoes can breed, we can prevent dengue fever,” Luistro advised.

The education head also directed all school personnel to disseminate information on the prevention and control of dengue and that close collaboration should be made with the Parents-Teachers-Community Associations (PTAs), Local Government Units (LGUs) and municipal health offices.

“Our students’ welfare is our primary concern. The outbreak prevention is for the benefit of not just the students, but the entire community, therefore, it should be a shared responsibility of all,” added Luistro.


School’s Actions

In response to the directive of the department, Camp Tinio Elementary School (CTES) performed preventive measures to avert the dreaded mosquito-borne disease.
Abiding the DOH’s 4S strategy covered the measures the school has practiced since the break of the swelling dengue cases.

One of these is the wearing of clothes like long sleeves, pants, and similar garments that cover most part of their body, which falls under the Self-protection Measures.

For the Search and Destroy, the school has conducted “Linis Bayan” spearheaded by the teachers and the parents. Vacant lots were weed out and plants like bromeliad were rooted out from soil for they are one of the breeding places of mosquitoes.
Children who were suspected of fever were immediately sent home and advised their parents to instantly consult a doctor following the Seek Early Consultation strategy.
Since there has no outbreak yet in the community, members of the barangay council haven’t done fogging, thus obeying the Say “NO” to indiscriminate fogging.

The school also follows the Preventive Alert System in Schools (PASS), the guidelines issued by DepEd that deals with the systematic relay of information on the child’s or teacher’s state of health to medical personnel or agencies in the locality which was also used when cases of A (H1N1) increased in the country last year.

As of September 30, there were seven recorded dengue cases in CTES with zero fatality.