Mayangitan, JC L
In November 2013, the Central Region of the Philippines particularly Samar and Leyte devastated by typhoon Haiyan. Given the endemicity of dengue in Eastern Samar, and the increased risk factors as consequence of the typhoon Haiyan, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) decided to start a dengue vector control program in Guiuan Inter Local Health Zone (ILHZ). This study aimed to describe the dengue vector control campaign supported by MSF in Guiuan ILHZ in post-typhoon Haiyan from December 20, 2013 to June 30, 2014. Methodology. The intervention site was in Guiuan ILHZ composed of five municipalities (Guiuan, Mercedes, Salcedo, General Mac Arthur and Hernani) in the Province of Eastern Samar, Region VIII, Philippines. The study population included all households which received dengue control activities during the intervention. Results. MSF dengue vector control interventions that have been implemented in Guiuan ILHZ after disasters were heterogeneous with an important component of social mobilization destroying mechanically thousands of breeding sites complemented with chemical control of the Aedes population. The chemical control activities varied in their intensity over the months and were multifaceted as well as utilizing only WHOPES approved insecticides in the recommended application doses using the appropriate formulation for its use. Both chemical as bacteriological products were used for the larviciding campaign. The Indoor Residual Spraying (IRS) and space spraying were targeted in its application and focused around health structures, schools and houses of infected cases.
Conclusions. This study ratified the feasibility and appropriateness of the MSF dengue vector control strategy in the aftermath of a typhoon. MSF dengue control intervention was done according to an established strategy defined at the onset of the intervention but with the required agility to adapted to contextual factors