ILOILO CITY — The Department of Health (DoH) has recorded 42 dengue-related deaths in Region 6 (Western Visayas) and 35 in Region 7 (Central Visayas) this year. The province of Iloilo reported the highest number of deaths due to the mosquito-borne disease with 20, followed by Negros Occidental with eight, Capiz with five, Iloilo City with four, Aklan with two, and one death each from Antique, Guimaras, and Bacolod City. Dr. Bea Natalaray of the Infectious Disease Section of DoH-6 urged the public to seek early consultation if exhibiting symptoms of dengue to prevent further complications. "I urge everyone to seek early consultation, as our death reviews indicate that a common cause of death, or a contributory factor, is delayed consultation," she said in a press conference on Wednesday. "Some parents believe their child only has a fever, but there are already warning signs of dengue," she added, noting that dengue test kits in rural health units are administered free of charge. Natalaray also encouraged teachers and village health workers to conduct fever surveillance in schools to monitor children with fever symptoms, given that the majority of dengue cases in the region affect school-aged children. DoH-6 data showed that from January 1 to August 24, the region documented a total of 18,056 dengue cases. This figure represents a 229 percent increase from the 5,491 cases and 25 deaths recorded in the same period last year. The province of Iloilo continues to have the highest number of cases with 7,020, followed by Negros Occidental with 2,864, Aklan with 1,919, Capiz with 1,828, Guimaras with 1,466, Iloilo City with 1,118, Antique with 1,012, and Bacolod City with 849 cases. Natalaray said that three provinces and one highly urbanized city in the region have already declared an outbreak of dengue cases. The province of Capiz declared an outbreak on August 14, Iloilo on August 21, Aklan on August 28, and Iloilo City on August 27. "The declaration of an outbreak allows for the potential to declare a state of calamity, which would enable the use of quick response funds to provide additional support for the dengue response," Natalaray said. The DoH-6 recently distributed 5,590 dengue NS1 antigen kits and 3,571 insecticide-treated rolls. In Cebu City, DoH-7 has reported 35 deaths in the region from Jan. to Aug. 17, 2024. This figure was released following an earlier report of 15,394 dengue cases in the region during the same period, which was announced during a virtual press conference with a DoH-7 official. Cebu province recorded the highest number of deaths, with 14 fatalities out of 4,592 dengue cases. Bohol reported 11 deaths out of 5,165 cases, while Negros Oriental recorded six deaths out of 2,689 cases. Siquijor, meanwhile, reported 637 cases but has not recorded any deaths. Urban areas in Cebu have also been significantly impacted.