Press Release/ 19 February 2010 The Department of Health’s National Center for Health Promotion (NCHP) and National Center for Disease Prevention and Control (NCDPC) recently released a health advisory to the public as the country begins to feel the effects of El Nino.
The El Nino phenomenon is characterized by extreme climactic conditions – either extreme temperature rise with a little rainfall, and the opposite extreme, unusually heavy rainfall. The former condition is what the Philippines is currently experiencing. “This extremely hot weather carries with it its own effects on health, so we came out with an advisory to inform the public about the potential health risks, and what they can do to safeguard themselves,” Health Secretary Esperanza Cabral said.
Potential health risks brought by the onset of El Nino include diarrhea, cholera and skin diseases (due to water scarcity or shortage), paralytic shellfish poisoning (due to red tide blooms), heat cramps, heat exhaustion and heat stroke (due to high temperatures). The DOH advises the public to do the following, among other precautions: conserve water and protect it from contamination, drink more fluids, avoid strenuous physical activities, wear light clothing and listen to updates on shellfish bans.
The DOH also has a health advisory for the upcoming summer season, which has added information on disorders usually associated with the summer months such as sunburn, sore eyes, flu, chickenpox, measles and hypertension. “For many Filipinos, summer is a time for fun and festivities, but they must always remember to put their health on top of their priorities,” Cabral further added.
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