Dengue outbreak declared in Philippine capital’s most populous city. From January 1 to February 14, the city’s health department recorded 1,769 dengue cases. 10, including eight minors, have died from the disease. All 66 city health centres will be open during the weekends from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., to accommodate possible d Dengue patients, Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte said. The city’s outbreak declaration came one day after the Philippines’ Department of Health noted increased water and food-borne diseases, influenza-like illnesses, leptospirosis, anddengue. The country’s outbreaks are largely seasonal, with most episodes occurring during the wet season (June–February) The strain on epidemic response capacity due to simultaneous concurrent outbreaks coupled with political crises highlights the need for robust emergency response mechanisms and strengthened collaboration among stakeholders, according to the health department. The global lack of resources, including shortages of good quality denge diagnostic kits for early detection, lack of trained clinical and vector control personnel, and community awareness remain a critical obstacle to an effective response.
