Mosquito repellent to combat Aedes in S’gor

(From left) Tan, Jamaliah, Ng, Akira, Johary and Kamiya at the event in Shah Alam. — AZLINA ABDULLAH/The Star

State records 45.5% increase in dengue cases this year

SOME 61,000 tubes of mosquito repellent serum will be distributed to households across Selangor as part of efforts to contain the outbreak of dengue.

State public health and environment committee chairman Jamaliah Jamaluddin said the products, worth RM971,172, would be distributed starting July at dengue hotspots.

The repellents, she said, were contributed by Kao (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd under its public-private partnership with Selangor government.

“State Health Department statistics show 1,009 dengue cases recorded between April 28 and May 4,” said Jamaliah.

“Cumulatively this year, 28,615 cases were recorded as of May 4, a 45.5% increase compared to the corresponding period last year,” she said.

About half of the dengue cases recorded in the country this year were from Selangor, said Jamaliah who launched the initiative with Kao representatives at the state secretariat building in Shah Alam.

Other continuous efforts by the state to combat dengue, she said, included awareness campaigns in the media and the stepping up of fogging operations by local authorities.

“Regular gotong-royong involving local communities are also carried out to find and destroy mosquitoes’ breeding grounds in neighbourhoods.

“Also held regularly are discussions at district and state levels to review appropriate responses and follow-up actions,” said Jamaliah.

The state government, she added, welcomed cooperation with the private sector in dengue prevention and control.

This has culminated in the formation of Selangor Public Private Consortium (Selpro), an initiative aimed at facilitating and intensifying such collaborations.

“Selpro is meant to enhance access to information and know-how among communities via collaboration with the private sector.

“It aims to shift the focus from curative to preventive measures and to create communities alert about dengue,” she said.

Also present at the launch were Selangor investment, commerce and mobility committee chairman Ng Sze Han, deputy state secretary (development) Datuk Johary Anuar, Kao Malaysia president Nishimaki Akira and marketing vice-president Tan Poh Ling, and Kao Corporation (health and beauty care) vice-president Mitsutoshi Kamiya.