ANGELES CITY – A significant decrease in cases of hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) here has been noted following the implementation of precautionary preventive measures by the city government, Mayor Carmelo “Pogi” Lazatin Jr. announced on Feb. 14.
According to data from Jan. 1 to Feb. 10 gathered by the city epidemiology and surveillance unit (CESU) and city health office (CHO), an increasing trend was observed starting Jan. 12, peaking on Jan. 20 with 14 cases reported.
In response, the CESU and CHO conducted an investigation on Jan. 23, prompting Mayor Lazatin to order immediate disinfection of all public and private schools, as well as daycare centers, the following day.
After these interventions, a noticeable drop in cases was observed. On Jan. 25, there were nine reported cases, further declining to three by Jan 26.
From Jan. 26 onwards, the number of cases continued to decrease, with no single day exceeding four cases.
While cases spiked to seven by Feb. 3, the daily cases on Feb. 4 onward remained consistently low, ranging from one to four cases per day.
The data clearly indicate that after reaching the peak of 14 cases on Jan. 20, there was a substantial decline following the preventive disinfection, with cases dropping to as low as one per day in February.
Lazatin commended the collaborative efforts of the Angeles City Barangay Outreach led by Michael Lising; Angeles City Environment and Natural Resources Office headed by Jenifer Castro; CHO led by Dr. Verona Guevarra and supervised by sanitation division chief Alvin Dingal; and the environmental management system and Angeles City Traffic Development Office both headed by Francis Pangilinan, emphasizing the importance of proactive measures to safeguard public health.
“Through our continuous disinfection drives and information campaigns, we are committed to ensuring the well-being of our community, especially our children,” the mayor Lazatin.
The city’s initiatives include heightened sanitation protocols at the 106 schools – 51 public and 55 private – and all daycare centers, as well as intensified public awareness campaigns to further control the spread of HFMD. Angeles CIO
