MODULE 5

 Waterborne diseases:transmitted by ingestion of contaminated water.

 Foodborne diseases:transmitted by the ingestion of contaminated food.
 Airborne diseases:transmitted through the air.
 Vector-borne diseases:transmitted by vectors, such as mosquitoes and flies.

Three Levels of communicable disease prevention:

1. Public health measures

2. Personal hygiene
3. Vaccination programs

LESSON 2: Non-Communicable Diseases

Six WHO Objectives:

1. Priority: Raise priority and integrate prevention and control into policies
2. Leadership: Establish and strengthen national policies and plans
3. Interventions: Focus on shared modifiable risk factors
4. Research: Promote research for NCD prevention and control
5. Partnerships: Promote partnerships for NCD prevention and control
6. Monitor and Evaluate: Monitor NCDs and determinants and evaluate progress

LESSON 3: Prevention and Control of Communicable Diseases in the Phils.

General approaches in the prevention and control of communicable diseases:

1. Measures targeting the reservoir of infection

 Diagnosis and Treatment: Identifying and treating cases as early as possible,

reduces the severity of the disease for the patient, avoiding progression to
complications, disability and death; and it also reduces the risk of transmission to
others.
 Screening: refers to the detection of an infection in an individual who does not show
any signs or symptoms of the disease. It is carried out using specific tests
called screening tests. Screening will help you to detect an infection early and
organise appropriate treatment so as to reduce complications and prevent
transmission to others. An example of screening that may be familiar to you is
screening the blood of pregnant women for HIV infection.
 Isolation: Following detection of an infectious disease, you may need to separate
patients from others to prevent transmission to healthy people. This is
called isolation. It is not indicated for every infection, but it is important to isolate
people with highly severe and easily transmitted diseases. For example, an adult
case of active pulmonary tuberculosis (‘pulmonary’ means in the lungs) should be
kept in isolation in the first two weeks of the intensive phase of treatment. The
 isolation period lasts until the risk of transmission from the infected person has
reduced or stop.
 Surveillance: Cases of communicable diseases should be reported to a nearby
health centre or Health Office periodically, using the national surveillance guidelines.
 **When infected animals are the reservoir involved in the transmission of
communicable diseases, different measures can be undertaken against them. The
type of action depends on the animal reservoir, and ranges from treatment to
destroying the infected animal, depending on the usefulness of the animal and the
availability of treatment. For example to prevent and control a rabies outbreak, the
measures to be taken are usually to destroy all stray dogs in the area, and vaccinate
pet dogs if the owner can afford this protection and the vaccine is available.

2. Measures targeting mode of transmission:

2.1. Water: Measures to prevent transmission of infection due to contaminated water

include boiling the water, or adding chemicals like chlorine. Disinfection is the
procedure of killing most, but not all, infectious agents outside the body by direct
exposure to chemicals. Adding chlorine is one method of disinfecting water. Physical
agents can also be used, for example filtering water through a box of sand, or pouring it
through several layers of fine cloth. Faecal contamination of water should also be
prevented by protecting water sources and through proper use of latrines
2.2. Food: Measures to prevent transmission in contaminated food include washing raw
vegetables and fruits, boiling milk, and cooking meat and other food items thoroughly
before eating. Contamination with feces can be prevented by hand washing and proper
use of latrines.
2.3. Sterilisation involves destruction of all forms of micro-organisms by physical heat,
irradiation, gas or chemical treatment. The difference between disinfection and
sterilisation is that disinfection kills most, but not all, micro-organisms. Disinfection can
be done using alcohol, chlorine, iodine or heating at the domestic level; whereas
sterilisation has to use extreme heating, irradiation or strong chemicals like a high
concentration of chlorine.
2.4. Vectors: Measures against vectors include preventing breeding of vectors, through
proper disposal of faeces and other wastes, eradication of breeding sites, and
disinfestation. Disinfestation is the procedure of destroying or removing small animal
pests, particularly arthropods and rodents, present upon the person, the clothing, or in
the environment of an individual, or on domestic animals. Disinfestation is usually
achieved by using chemical or physical agents, e.g. spraying insecticides to destroy
mosquitoes, and removing lice from the body and clothing.

3. Measures targeting the susceptible host:

 Vaccination: refers to administration of vaccines to increase the resistance of the

susceptible host against specific vaccine-preventable infections. For example,
 measles vaccination helps to protect the child from measles infection, and BCG
vaccination gives some protection from tuberculosis
 Chemoprophylaxis: refers to the drugs given to exposed and susceptible hosts to
prevent them from developing an infection. For example, individuals from non-
malarial areas who are going to a malaria endemic area can take a prophylactic
drug to prevent them from developing the disease if they become infected with
malaria parasites from a mosquito bite.

Prevention and Control Programs for Communicable Diseases in the Philippines:

1. Dengue Prevention and Control through Enhanced 4S Strategy

S-earch and Destroy

S-eek early consultation
S-elf protection measures
S-ay yes to fogging only during outbreaks

2. Expanded Program on Immunization: provides for immunization of

infants/children and mothers against the six common vaccine-preventable diseases
(TB, poliomyelitis, diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, and measles)
3. A. 10152 (Mandatory Infants and Children Health Immunization Act of
2011) provides for immunization against Hepatitis B in addition to the common
vaccine-preventable diseases.
4. Filariasis Prevention and Control through mass drug administration
5. HIV/STI Prevention Program through
o Free voluntary HIV counseling and testing service
o 100% Condom use program
o Peer education and outreach
o Distribution of male condoms as educational materials during outreach
6. Malaria Control Program
7. Measles Elimination Campaign
8. National Tuberculosis TB Control Program
9. Rabies Prevention and Control Program
10. Schistosomiasis Control Program
11. National Leprosy Control Program