Massive awareness program needed to combat dengue – research 

MALAYBALAY CITY (IPS) The results of the study of a Bukidnon State University (BukSU) faculty led to the recommendation that local government units of Malaybalay, the academe, the business sectors and the community are ought to make joint efforts in the massive awareness programs to strengthen the campaign against dengue outbreaks.

Dr. Lesley C. Lubos, a faculty of the College of Arts and Sciences of BukSU conducted a study on the “Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice regarding Dengue Fever among Mothers in Select Dengue Outbreak Villages in Malaybalay City, Bukidnon” which he co-authored with Dr. Lalevie C. Lubos.

The study found out, that despite the low knowledge among mothers in select dengue outbreak villages, they have a good attitude and most of them reported good practices on dengue prevention and control.

ʺTherefore, there is an urgent need for awareness programs to raise the knowledge of people in the select dengue fever outbreak villages,ʺ he said in his recommendation.

Dr. Lubos presented this research and another paper in the 2018 IConBaCC or International Conference on Biodiversity and Climate Change in Ozamis City on August 8 to 10, 2018. The conference was hosted by the Misamis University and co-hosted by the University of Sri Jayewardenepura of Sri Lanka and Vellore Institute of Technology *VIT) University in India.

Dr. Lubos, an officer of the Mosquito Dengue Fighters Association (MDFA) of the entire Philippines and is the MDFA Bukidnon Chapter Head, said he strongly believes in the campaign against dengue outbreaks.

He said he is conducting further research on dengue fever for policy-making, the creation of Information, Education Communication (IEC) materials for distribution to the community and engaging the Media and the community to take the essential role in the dissemination, influence, and call for community cooperation to control dengue outbreaks for the safety of the community.

He also presented another paper on “Nineteen New Moss Species Records for Camiguin Island, Philippines.”

In the conference, he disseminated that there are 19 new additional records of mosses found on Camiguin Island mainly found in Mt. Hibok-Hibok and Mt. Timpoong, some of which are the rare and uncommon species Trichosteleum mindanense Broth., Hookeria acutifolia Hook. & Grev., and Epipterygium tozeri (Grev.) Lindb.

He recommended that more exploratory studies must be conducted in other mountains in Camiguin Island to have a broader scope of bryological studies.

Mindanao, cited as an important island, even with a still incompletely known flora, may hold the critical key to a better understanding of the origin and evolution of the entire Philippine moss flora.

Dr. Lubos further pushed for sustaining the strict environmental policy implementation to protect and preserve the diversity of mosses and other important species on the Island.

He said the mosses have economic and medicinal uses.  (Information and Publication Service with reports from Dr. Lesley C. Lubos/CAS Natural Sciences Department)