Residents of Barangay 165 in Pasay City stock up on delivered water from a mobile tanker on March 5, 2023. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News
MANILA — The Department of Health on Wednesday warned the public against myriad of diseases that may be experienced amid a water crisis caused by El Niño.
In a press conference during the launch of the Philippine Multisectoral Nutrition Project in Manila, DOH officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire said communities may experience diseases such as cholera, typhoid fever and even vector-borne diseases like dengue.
"Ito ay kasama sa ating mga tinitignan 'pag may krisis sa tubig. Dahil 'pag walang tubig sa kabahayan, tayo ay nag-iimbak ng tubig sa timba na hindi natatakpan. Minsan at doon nangingitlog ang lamok na nagbibigay ng dengue," she said.
"Malaria can be part of the illnesses. 'Pag nasira ang water irrigation system of farmlands, ito rin ay magdudulot nito," she added.
Schistosomiasis, a disease caused by parasitic worms found in freshwater snails, is also among the diseases that may arise due to a water crisis.
"Ang importante lahat tayo aware at lahat tayo alam kung ano ang gagawin kapag nangyari ito. Dapat ligtas na tubig ang iniinom. Di kaya naman ay pakuluan ang tubig kahit 5 minutes," Vergeire said.
"Mahalaga na linisan ang mga kinakain natin. Hindi lang sa tubig nakukuha ang sakit. Kung marumi ang tubig, magkakasakit din," she added.
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