By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

Based on recent data from the Bacolod City Health Office (CHO), the number of dengue cases in the city has dropped by 33 percent in the first three months of 2018 as compared to the same period last year.

The office recorded a total of 143 this year, as compared to 214 in 2017.

CHO added, a five-year-old girl from Barangay Sum-ag died from dengue earlier this year.

Meanwhile, CHO Environmental and Sanitation head, Dr. Grace Tan, called on parents of children who were vaccinated with dengvaxia to immediately report to CHO.

Earlier this month, the Department of Health (DOH) revealed over 10,000 cases of dengue fever have been reported nationwide this year.

According to the DOH Dengue Disease Surveillance Report, there were 10,980 cases reported between January 1 and February 10.

However, the report noted the figure is around 41 percent lower than the same period last year, which tallied 18,731 cases.

The highest number of cases were recorded in the Calabarzon region with 2,503.

Region VI did not factor into the top three./DGB, WDJ