IT’S NOT only in Western Visayas that dengue cases are rising. The surge has also been observed in Central Visayas, among others.
To prevent dengue cases from spiraling with the onset of the rainy season, one sure solution is the enforcement of the country’s law on ecological solid waste management (ESWM). Local government units (LGUs) and the general public must enhance the implementation of Republic Act 9003 (RA), or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act, to control the deadly disease.
Enacted in 2000, RA 9003 promotes waste avoidance and volume reduction, segregation at source, reusing, recycling, composting and other best practices in ESWM excluding incineration.
The application of ecological solid waste management as espoused in RA 9003 in every household and community will deprive Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, the primary vector of the dengue virus, with places to lay their eggs.
As a concrete way of thanking their constituents, we also urge winners of the May 9 national and local elections to consider leading neighborhood cleanup operations to promote the ecological management of discards, including campaign-related waste such as candidates’ tarpaulin posters.
Discarded election campaign materials, facemasks, bottle caps, glass and plastic bottles, plastic bags and sachets, tin cans, tires and other wastes can hold rainwater, which can serve as a breeding site for Aedes aegypti mosquitoes.
Aside from controlling dengue and other health benefits, enforcing RA 9003 will cut the volume and toxicity of garbage, reduce hauling costs, curb environmental contamination, address climate pollution, prevent flooding and marine litter, conserve resources, and generate recycling-based jobs and livelihoods for local communities.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), “applying many of the basic principles (of solid waste management) can contribute substantially to reducing Aedes aegypti larval habitats,” stressing that “proper storage, collection and disposal of waste are essential for protecting public health.”
