KUALA LUMPUR, June 15 — Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Adham Baba today said that his ministry has predicted a second wave of dengue fever to happen this month which would last till September.
In a statement issued in conjunction with the Asean Dengue Day today, Dr Adham said between January and June this year, 50,511 dengue cases and 88 deaths were reported, compared to 56,819 cases and 88 fatalities for the same period last year.
“The world is now being tested with the Covid-19 pandemic, and Malaysia is no exception. However, focus must also be given to the continued effort to fight dengue fever, seeing how the number of dengue cases is still high in our country.
“Though the cumulative number of dengue cases for the period mentioned is lower than that of last year’s, however, in the last eight weeks, an increasing trend has been detected, with an eight per cent average increase (in dengue cases) a week.
“Based on this trend, the Ministry of Health (MOH) is predicting a second wave of dengue cases, beginning early June till September 2020,” he said.
He said the theme of this year’s national level Asean Dengue Day, is “10 Minutes to Eradicate Aedes”, which is aimed at fostering commitment and cooperation from all parties, including government departments and agencies as well as the private sector, to fight dengue together.
Referring to the theme, Dr Adham said the message is to educate people that they only need 10 minutes weekly, to clean their surroundings to prevent Aedes mosquitoes from breeding.
“During the recovery movement control order (RMCO), individuals and communities are encouraged to continue their dengue prevention activities by prioritising social distancing, wearing face mask and regularly washing their hands with water and soap or use a hand sanitiser,” he added.
