IPOH: More gotong-royong must be carried out to ensure that dengue hotspot areas are destroyed, says Datuk Rumaizi Baharin.
The Ipoh Mayor said the community needs to be aware that concerted efforts to deal with the dengue epidemic continuously through mass cleaning is important.
Rumaizi said the community, together with the Ipoh City Council, must take such efforts (gotong-royong) to eliminate breeding places around their homes.
“Spend 10 minutes once a week to find and destroy Aedes mosquito breeding places.
“Since the beginning of last year, cases of dengue fever within the council’s jurisdiction have shown an increase.
“From January until May 25, a total of 2,380 cases of dengue have been reported, an increase of 1,762 cases or 285.1% compared to 618 cases for the same period in 2023,” he said in his speech at the full board meeting here Friday (May 31).
Rumaizi said that this year, a total of four deaths due to dengue complications have been reported so far.
He said until May 27, a total of 23 controlled outbreak localities, four uncontrolled outbreak localities, and one hotspot area in Taman Sri Tanjung have been reported.
“Fluctuations in dengue cases are closely related to hot/dry weather, with intermittent, and continuous rain causing the density pattern of Aedes mosquitoes to be in a situation of risk of spreading dengue cases.
“A concerted effort in carrying out prevention, control and health promotion activities related to dengue awareness by the council in collaboration with councillors, the Kinta District Health Office, the local Combi Team and all agencies and voluntary bodies is essential to curb the increase in dengue cases,” he added.
