Dengue cases, deaths decline in the first quarter: DOH report

May 27, 2018

Dengue cases in the Philippines logged 26,042, down 17 percent from the same period last year, the Department of Health ( DOH) said in a report.

Deaths from dengue registered 136 from year-ago figures of 180, it added.

The report comes as the controversy over the Dengvaxia vaccine continues. Two anti-crime groups have filed criminal complaints before the Department of Justice over the purchase of the vaccine against former President Benigno Aquino III, then Health Secretary Janette Garin and ex-Budget Secretary Florencio Abad and 41 members of the Aquino Cabinet .

The complainants accused Aquino and the other respondents of criminal negligence, claiming the correlation between deaths of students and the vaccine has been established.

Among dengue cases, regions with the highest numbers are in the Calabarzon (4,902); National Capital Region (4,874); Central Luzon (4,482); Northern Mindanao (1,533); Central Visayas (1,487); and Western Visayas (1,482).

Among dengue deaths, Calabarzon has the most with 29; followed by Metro Manila with 17; Western Visayas with 14; Northern Mindanao with 13; and Central Visayas and Central Luzon with 11 each.

The report said majority of dengue cases were in the 10-14 years old age group with 6,498 cases, representing 25 percent of the total.

More than half of the reported cases, or 54 percent, also involved males with 13,951 cases. DMS