A few years ago, Philippines was considered a third-world country and it was not until recently it became a developing nation. A median working individual in the Philippines earns only $2,000 annually, while the cost of dengue treatment is $210.75 per case (Edillo, Halasa & Largo). This amount only covers diagnosis and treatment for standard dengue fever it does not include medical professional fee and hospital bills. In addition to this, DHF and DSS cost three times the amount of the typical dengue fever case and the amount of medical cost varies between private and public hospitals (Edillo, Halasa & Largo). This raises the mortality rate of dengue virus based solely on the socioeconomic status of the patient. More importantly, imagine the burden of dengue to households in the rural area who only relies their income on agriculture. It significantly reduces the rate of productivity of farmers and fishermen who are affected by the virus. Furthermore, the current observation system only focuses on hospitalized cases, particularly cases with acute dengue manifestation. The patients that are most likely to get treated are the members of the universal healthcare system, meaning that indigent individuals are least expected to get treatment. Since the majority of the Filipino citizen are not a member of the universal healthcare, the economic circumstances of the country play a major role in dengue’s
A few years ago, Philippines was considered a third-world country and it was not until recently it became a developing nation. A median working individual in the Philippines earns only $2,000 annually, while the cost of dengue treatment is $210.75 per case (Edillo, Halasa & Largo). This amount only covers diagnosis and treatment for standard dengue fever it does not include medical professional fee and hospital bills. In addition to this, DHF and DSS cost three times the amount of the typical dengue fever case and the amount of medical cost varies between private and public hospitals (Edillo, Halasa & Largo). This raises the mortality rate of dengue virus based solely on the socioeconomic status of the patient. More importantly, imagine the burden of dengue to households in the rural area who only relies their income on agriculture. It significantly reduces the rate of productivity of farmers and fishermen who are affected by the virus. Furthermore, the current observation system only focuses on hospitalized cases, particularly cases with acute dengue manifestation. The patients that are most likely to get treated are the members of the universal healthcare system, meaning that indigent individuals are least expected to get treatment. Since the majority of the Filipino citizen are not a member of the universal healthcare, the economic circumstances of the country play a major role in dengue’s