The Department of Health (DOH-6) has warned the public against health-related diseases amid the prevailing El Niño phenomenon over the country.
Florence Audrey Mamon-Pestaño, medical officer and head of the Health Emergency Management Staff (HEMS) at DOH-6, said exposure to excessive heat has adverse effects on the human body.
It can cause heat cramps, heat exhaustion and heat stroke, which typically affect senior citizens, according to Pestaño.
Food and water-borne diseases like diarrhea, cholera, acute gastroenteritis, leptospirosis, dengue, chikungunya, and typhoid fever are also prevalent during the warm weather.
Pestaño advised the public to observe precautionary measures such as drinking of water, wearing of light and breathable clothes, avoiding outdoor activities during peak hours of the sun and keeping themselves hygienic and their surroundings clean.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said El Niño is likely to persist until May this year.IMT
