Apathy a reason for rising dengue cases

Star: The ignorant and indifferent attitude of Selangor residents is one of the reasons why the state has the highest number of dengue cases in the country.
Last year, the number of cases in the state numbered 9,178, with 12 deaths. Cases in Selangor alone contributed almost 27% of the total number of cases in the country, a grave cause for concern for the state government.
On Tuesday, state exco for tourism, health and consumer affairs Datuk Dr Lim Thuang Seng said Selangor residents should work with the state government to curb the disease.
“The state is going all out to do its part but residents should also buck up and be more proactive.
“They should know the dangers of having unkempt compounds and must be particularly vigilant during the rainy season when there is usually a surge in dengue cases,” he explained.
“When the authorities carry out fogging, residents should be cooperative and let them in.
“They should also participate in gotong-royong activities organised by residents' associations,” he added.
Lim was speaking after visiting several dengue-prone areas under the jurisdiction of the Kajang Municipal Council (MPKj). Accompanying him were officers from the council and the Hulu Langat District Health Office.
According to Lim, the number of dengue cases recorded in areas under MPKj and the Subang Jaya Municipal Council (MPSj) were at an alarming level.
Bandar Teknologi Kajang in Semenyih is one of the areas often prone to dengue but efforts to curb the disease were still unsatisfactory.
Aedes larvae were found in several locations and almost all the situations could have been prevented if residents were more concerned for their health and surroundings.
Tyres stacked in the front compound of one house, old plastic trays kept in the garden of another house and discarded water containers around the playground were all breeding grounds for the larvae.
Similar scenes were witnessed in Bandar Baru Bangi while larvae were also present in water collecting in plastic sheets discarded at the temporary MPKj store located on private land on Jalan Low Ti Kok.
At a briefing at the Hulu Langat District Health Office earlier, Lim was told that the World Health Organisation (WHO)-sanctioned programme called Combi (Communication for Behavioural Impact) was successful in reducing 75% of the dengue cases in Sections 3 and 4 of Bandar Baru Bangi in 2004 and 85% of dengue cases in Kampung Sungai Ramal Dalam last year.
The Combi only works if residents are willing to take a serious role in efforts to curb dengue.