THE Department of Education (DepEd) on Tuesday ordered a campaign against dengue fever following an alarming increase in the number of cases of the dreaded disease among the students.

In a memorandum, the department reiterated its previous memoranda against dengue to protect the school populace, especially during rainy season when the aedes aegypti mosquito proliferates.

Education Secretary Armin Luistro said the department supports the Department of Health’s (DOH) intensive campaign against dengue as he instructed all school officials to intensify anti-dengue campaigns to prevent further spread of the disease in schools.

A report from the DepEd’s Health and Nutrition Center (HNC) indicate that there are already 4,738 confirmed dengue cases in schools nationwide and 58 students have died.

Luistro reiterates that the welfare of the students and the rest of the school community should be the priority.

“We should work together to contain the outbreak of dengue. Students’ welfare should be our primary concern,” said Luistro.

HNC is the health arm of the DepEd which constantly monitors dengue cases and possible outbreaks in schools.

“With everyone’s support, the fight against dengue can be won,” said Luistro.

Earlier, the DepEd and the DOH conducted a series of school visits as part of the government’s effort to keep the schools and the rest of the community dengue-free.

The DOH has come up with an extensive information campaign to fight dengue. Called 4S, it stands for search and destroy, self-protection measures, seek early consultation, and say “NO” to indiscriminate fogging.

On the other hand, the DepEd has also issued guidelines on the implementation of Preventive Alert System in Schools, a systematic relay of information on the child’s or teacher’s state of health to medical personnel-agencies in the locality which all school heads should follow.