A 71 percent drop in dengue cases was logged by the Department of Health (DOH) in January last year as it recorded more than 7,400 dengue cases last month.

It said in the report the 7,471 dengue cases were reported from 4 to 24 January 2026, significantly lower than the 25,652 cases recorded in the comparable period in 2025.

“From the same period last year, we logged 25,652 dengue cases in the country, which led to the launch of Alas Kwatro Kontra Mosquito program, where we intensified shaking and cleaning of stagnant water,” DOH Health Promotions Bureau Director Tina Marasigan said.

This was announced by Marasigan during an episode of The Alas Kwatro Kontra Mosquito anti-dengue campaign was launched on 24 February 2025, in response to rising dengue cases nationwide.

The DOH as part of the initiative, conducted cleanup drives in various areas across the country.

The public was reminded by the health department to regularly clean their homes, particularly pots, stagnant water, and canals that may serve as breeding grounds for Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, even before the start of the rainy season.

“It’s not just during the typhoon season, but dengue is all year round. It just so happens that cases rise during the rainy season… The ones that are affected the most are the youth because if you haven’t had dengue before, you can be infected by a mosquito carrying dengue,” Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa also said in a radio program,.

The health chief also warned that dengue complications could require intensive care in severe cases.

“Usually, in some cases, you can be admitted to the ICU because of this, and your platelet count may decrease, and you may experience bleeding due to dengue hemorrhagic fever,” Herbosa said.

The public was also urged to seek immediate medical attention if they experience symptoms such as fever, rashes, body aches, stomachaches, and headaches.