Health is a vital aspect in our lives. As it turns out, it IS the most important aspect. Without health, there would be no life in the first place. So it makes sense for us to take care of ourselves before all other things. However, as it may be observed within our society, sometimes we forget to do so. And with that, outbreaks of different diseases begin to rise.

     Dengue has never been a new problem. In the Philippines, it has always been a task for us to avoid this blood-borne disease carried by certain types of mosquitoes. These bugs thrive in a warm climate, and therefore they are especially numerous in places near the equator, because of how much sunlight is being received by the places inside it, including the Philippines.

     With this age-old problem, it would make sense for us to be used by this. Yet, we don’t. Dengue outbreaks still continue to appear every now and then. In fact, this year, a staggering amount of 40,614 cases have been recorded starting January 1 up until March 2. Last year, the total cases recorded by the Department of Health (DOH) was just 24,231. The fact that the number of dengue cases recorded within a span of 3 months for this year is 68% higher than the total number of cases the year before is “quite alarming”, as Dr. Domingo, one of the speakers being interviewed in today’s Press Conference, puts it. The data given by the speakers tell us how inconsiderate Filipinos are when it comes to diseases; let alone just the Dengue disease.

     With the effort pushed by the government to decrease the tolls, it would seem that the number of Dengue cases should have lowered but it hasn’t. And that’s because the government is mainly focusing on curing and treating the disease. Preventing it should be a priority as well. As the saying goes, “prevention is better than cure.” The government is already doing so much in giving aids to cure the disease, so it only makes sense that people should do their part as well. With these, citizens should prioritize cleaning the environment, removing stagnant water, and other methods that may prevent the growth of the population of mosquitoes so the problem can be effectively taken care of.
     To be fair, this is already happening. People have been told what and what not to do to prevent having the dengue disease. However, only a small portion of the population have been doing it. If all of us were to properly do the work that we should do, it would give an astounding decrease in the number of dengue cases.

     With this in mind, there is no need to say that we should do our part. Cleaning the environment is an effective way, especially since mosquitoes thrive in damp and wet areas. Removing stagnant water helps as well because it is where mosquitoes lay their eggs. Helping the government fight this problem would lift a lot of weight from their shoulders, and in turn they can focus more on other problems. Nothing is better than cooperation; the government cures while the citizens prevent.