Second National Communications Hospital in Tagbilaran City. The corresponding contiguous PAGASA meteorological offices in the study area were the data points for the weather parameters. 5.1 Time series study We wanted to establish association between five identified NESSS diseases and weather/ parameters (climate). We gathered NESSS data overtime in the three pilot sites and did a statistical analysis utilizing a linear regression model as part of our study. The variables for testing were the weather parameters (temperature, rainfall/precipitation and relative humidity) and five of the thirteen NESSS diseases (Dengue, Malaria, Cholera, Typhoid and Leptospirosis) which we deemed were climate sensitive. We considered their sensitivity as to being those that were vector borne, which vector would be affected by changes in weather/climate over time; those diseases that were directly affected due to the availability of a favorable (weather) environment that would increase their transmission. The five diseases are diagnosed and have case definitions as follows: Ø Cholera - acute watery diarrhea where Vibrio cholerae is grown from the stool or rectal swab culture Ø Typhoid fever - fever of at least 5 days duration, malaise, constipation or diarrhea, abdominal discomfort with Salmonella typhi grown from blood or stool or rectal swab culture Ø Dengue fever - fever of 3 days duration and any of the following: positive tourniquet test, petechiae, low platelet count (<100,000/mm 3) or any hemorrhagic manifestations Ø Malaria - fever and positive peripheral smear for malaria parasite Ø Leptospirosis – fever, myalgia, jaundice and (+) lepstospira antigen. Inputs Sources Number of cases reported for dengue, malaria, leptospirosis, cholera, and typhoid by quarter from 1993-2000 National Epidemic Sentinel Surveillance System, DOH (NESSS, DOH) Quarterly average of temperature (°C), rainfall (mm/day), and relative humidity (%) recorded from 19932000 PAG-ASA Data inputs and sources presented in a table came from the NESSS data from the National Epidemiology Center (NEC) of the Department of Health and weather data from the Weather Section, Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical services administration (PAGASA) office. 30