The Star

Friday, 17/06/201

Liow: Dengue deaths down by 80% this year

KUALA LUMPUR: The number of dengue-related cases and deaths fell by 57% and 80% respectively this year compared to the same period last year.

Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said as of June 12, the number of reported cases stood at 9,224 compared to last year's figure of 21,309 during the same period.

The number of deaths has also dropped by 80% to 14 compared to 69 in the previous year.

A total of 46,171 dengue cases and 134 deaths were recorded last year.

Liow attributed the reduction to the strong community support towards the Communication for Behavioural Impact (Combi) campaign against dengue.

There are currently 2,126 Combi projects, of which 205 were by non-governmental organisations.

“Preventing dengue is a joint responsibility.

“Our focus is to mobilise the community and help them realise that their role in reducing the breeding of Aedes mosquitoes is the key,” he said at the local-level Asean Dengue Day function and re-launch of the national-level Combi campaign yesterday.

Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said efforts to combat the epidemic must continue on a daily basis as the number of cases and deaths could happen at any time.

“Our target is to have zero deaths as one death is too many,” he said.

On the dengue vaccine which is being developed by the Health Ministry and pharmaceutical company Sanofi-Aventis, Liow said it would be available by 2015.

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