Ministry draws up dengue-busting guidelines

High-risk area: A banner showing the index of dengue cases at PPRT Pantai in Bangsar.

PETALING JAYA: The Urban Wellbeing, Housing and Local Government Ministry is in the midst of preparing guidelines on how local councils can control dengue.

Its minister Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan said the working paper was expected to be completed this year.

The guidelines, he said, would encompass actions that need to be taken to prevent and control dengue in the localities.

“The Ministry will also educate and provide training for members of the Residents’ Representative Committees through the Communication for Behavioural Impact Local Agenda 21 (COMBI LA-21) on dengue prevention methods as well as enable the committee to form Health-Environment Volunteer programmes,” Abdul Rahman told The Star yesterday.

He added that the Health Ministry (MOH) is the main agency in programmes to control and prevent dengue.

However, his ministry is always ready to cooperate with MOH in ensuring such programmes are conducted at local council levels.

Abdul Rahman said his ministry had also asked local councils to conduct checks and increase dengue prevention activities at hotspots.

Among the activities conducted were checks on Aedes mosquito breeding grounds, larvaciding, search and destroy operations and enforcement.

These activities were carried out at dumping sites, goods storage centres, empty lots, as well as in abandoned buildings and houses.

The National Housing Department has also asked housing developers to carry out prevention and dengue eradication measures at their project sites.

Abdul Rahman said that every year, his ministry provided allocations to local councils to buy material that could help eradicate dengue.

“The ministry, through the local government department, also has discussions every fortnight with MOH to find out the latest initiatives to eradicate dengue.

“My ministry also monitors and streamlines the information before passing it on to local councils for follow-up action.

“The local councils also need to submit a report to the ministry on their actions and efforts to eradicate dengue in their localities,” he said.

Apart from that, Abdul Rahman also said several meetings had been conducted by the ministry to prevent dengue.