Dengue cases down in January 2026 vs January 2025 — DOH

The Department of Health (DOH) reported fewer dengue cases in January 2026 compared with the same period last year.

In a radio interview on Saturday, the DOH said the country recorded only 7,471 dengue cases from January 4 to 24, 2026—significantly lower than the 25,652 cases reported during the same period in 2025.

The agency attributed the decline to its ongoing “Alas Kwatro Kontra Mosquito” campaign, which urges the public to observe the practices of taob, taktak, tuyo, and takip to prevent mosquito breeding.

Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa noted that dengue continues to affect mostly young people.

“Ang naaapektuhan diyan karamihan ay kabataan kasi kung hindi ka pa nagkaka-dengue, puwede ka talagang makagat ng lamok na may dengue at magkaroon ng sakit,” Herbosa said.

(Most of those affected are the youth because if you have not yet had dengue, you can still be bitten by a dengue-carrying mosquito and become infected.)

He also stressed that dengue is not limited to the rainy season.

“Hindi lang sa bagyo ang dengue—ito ay all-year-round. Nagkakataon lang na tumataas ang bilang kapag tag-ulan. Ngayon, baka tumaas na naman ang bilang ng mga nagkaka-dengue, kaya paalala ito sa lahat ng ating mga kababayan,” Herbosa added.

(Dengue is not only a concern during the rainy season—it occurs year-round. The cases just tend to rise during the rainy months. The number of cases may increase again, so this serves as a reminder to everyone.)

In 2025, the DOH said it is targeting zero dengue-related deaths nationwide by 2030.

To achieve this goal, the agency plans to implement various interventions, with Herbosa emphasizing that dengue cases will continue to rise unless mosquito breeding sites are effectively controlled.—MCG, GMA Integrated News