KALIBO, Aklan, (PNA) — The Sangguniang Bayan of Kalibo has declared their town under a state of calamity due to measles outbreak.
Dr. Melanie Tolentino of the Kalibo Rural Health Center said the SB members made the declaration through a resolution passed in a special session conducted Wednesday afternoon.
Data from the Department of Health (DOH) regional office bared that Western Visayas has recorded 24 cases of measles. Some 15 cases of which are reported in Kalibo and majority of them were in Barangay Andagao.
“The declaration is meant to release calamity funds for both the treatment of the victims and prevention of possible increase of cases. It also meant to access free medicines and vaccines from the Department of Health,” said Tolentino.
In a report of the Aklan Provincial Health Office, some 77 suspected measles cases have been registered since January this year. The cases are still being studied by the DoH.
Unconfirmed report said that two of the 77 suspected cases have already died.
Tolentino said one positive case of measles alone could already serve as a ground for declaration of state of calamity much more the 15 cases.
“Once the calamity fund is released and the DoH will provide the free medicines we will be now campaigning in the households on the possible eradication of measles in Kalibo. Most of the victims were 10-15 years of age,”
The month of July has been observed to have the most number of affected cases in the province.