Butuan tops list of Schistosomiasis incidence in Caraga

By Ben Serrano, Correspondent

BUTUAN CITY – This city tops the list of areas in Caraga region with the most cases of Schistosomiasis, DOH Caraga official records show.

The chronic disease, caused by parasitic worms, has also been reportedly prevalent in 43 towns, 244 barangays in Caraga region.

The records were bared during the monthly media forum of DOH Caraga regional office, this city, Monday. The month of July has also been declared by national government as the national Schistosomiasis Mass Treatment and Awareness Month.

According to DOH-13 report on Schistosomiasis, Agusan del Norte including Butuan City has 14.1% prevalence rate, the highest among Caraga Region LGUs, followed by Surigao del Norte which also includes Surigao City with 8.1%, then Agusan del Sur province includes Bayugan City with 5.81% and Surigao del Sur which includes Tandag City with only 0.41%.

Among towns in Agu-san del Norte affected by the highly contaminable disease are the municipalities of Santiago with three barangays with high presence of the disease in the Barangays of Tagbukayan, La Paz, and E. Morgado,

Other towns affected in Agusan del Norte were Jabonga where six baran-gays affected; Kitcharao town, again with 6 baran-gays affected; Magallanes, Tubay, the City of Cabad-baran with 3 barangays affected; RTR and Las Nieves.

In Butuan City, baran-gays affected are Sumilihon, Ampayon, Basag, Lemon, Baan Km3, Mahay, Pig-Daulan, Tagabaca, Aupa-gan, Salvacion, Tiniwisan, Cabcabon, Bobon, Banza, Maug, Buhangin, Florida, tungao, Dankias, Amparo, Pinamanculan, Kinamlutan.

Jomela Torres, regional focal person-in-charge of Schistosomiasis, told Gold Star Daily that DOH-13 has launched different activities to curb the incidence of the disease in the region.

“Aside from mass treatment, DOH Caraga regional office will also launch region-wide preventive and cure information and education dissemination drive to the different LGUs like implementation of safe water supply, Construction of foot bridges, 100 % provision and use of sanitary toilet, regular vegetation clearing, control of stray animals, ponding and earth filling,” Torres said.