DOH to hold ‘catch-up’ measles immunization in Davao Region

MinDA’s Western Mindanao team will also work together with the Provincial Agriculture Office for vegetable farming, and other agricultural-based economic activities that would uplift the quality of lives of the area’s Subanen communities, he added.

Mindanao News MinDA will also engage the barangays for its water supply program through its solar-powered irrigation initiative.

Meanwhile, Zamboanga Sibugay Governor Wilter Yap Palma called on the province’s communities to be a partner of the government in attaining collective peace and development.

“We will develop these barangays into agricultural learning center communities with the assistance of TESDA (Technical Education and Skills Development Authority) for technical trainings and skills programs,” Piñol said. “Those who are still on the hills, let the government help you. Let us help one another. We brought to you this caravan because we want to show you that you have the government that you can trust and rely on. If there is no peace, there is no development,” Palma said. (PNA) DOH to hold ‘catch-up’

measles immunization in Davao Region

By Che Palicte DAVAO CITY - The Department of Health in Region 11 (DOH-11) will conduct a catch-up measles immunization campaign in Davao Region as soon as the vaccines are made available, an official said on Thursday.

Dr. Annabelle Yumang, DOH11 director, issued the immunization advisory following the recorded 1,754 cases of measles in 2019.

“I am directing our local health authorities to prioritize unvaccinated children and those children who have missed a measles-containing vaccine dose for the catch-up immunization,” she said.

Yumang also directed for the prioritization of barangays with a cluster of measles cases, including the hard to reach or geographically isolated, urban poor and depressed areas.

In Mati City, Davao Oriental, for instance, the province declared a measles outbreak last year.

While waiting for the arrival of the vaccines, Mati City health officer Dr. Ben Hur Catbagan said they have strengthened their surveillance measures down to the barangay level. Catbagan said they need support for additional personnel to man the isolation wards since most of their health personnel will be utilized in the third round of the polio immunization campaign on January 20 until February 2.

Catbagan said they have observed a decrease in the number of admission of measles patients to one or two per day in Mati City though, but admitted that measles transmission is still happening in some areas of the city. He said they are sustaining their advocacy measures by giving public health warning and advisory on how to prevent transmission of measles.

Records from DOH revealed that Davao City registered the most number of cases with 683 and 13 deaths; Davao del Norte with 395 cases and five deaths; and Davao de Oro with 235 cases and two deaths.

Davao Oriental has 289 cases without fatality; Davao del Sur with 127 cases without fatality; and Davao Occidental with only 25 cases and zero fatality.

Based on the health advisory, the most affected age group is less than 1-year-old at 35 percent, while 20 percent for the 1-4-year-old children.

Most of the cases have no history of vaccination while the rest have incomplete vaccinations. In addition, 90 percent of the deaths recorded were from the less than 5-year-old children. (PNA) January 18-24, 2020 Caraga Infocus 38

NATIONAL NEWS