MBPP personnel taking part in an operation to search and destroy mosquito breeding grounds at a park and (right) fogging being carried out at a back lane in George Town. — Filepic
SOUTH Seberang Prai recorded the highest percentage increase in dengue cases among five districts in Penang as of Dec 30 last year.
The district documented 1,297 cases of dengue fever, a stark contrast to 61 cases reported in the same period in 2022.
Central Seberang Prai likewise experienced a 539.34% surge in the number of dengue cases, escalating from 549 to 3,510 cases.
Buletin Mutiara reported that the cumulative number of dengue cases in Penang (until Dec 30, 2023) increased drastically by 353.18% to 7,346 cases, compared with 1,621 cases reported in 2022.
The state Health Department recorded 12 fatal cases compared with just one in 2022.
Other districts which recorded noteworthy increases include north Seberang Prai, rising from 232 to 474 cases (a surge of 104.31%), the northeast district experienced a substantial increase of 150.29%, going from 521 to 1,304 cases while the southwest district saw a 194.96% rise, climbing from 258 to 761 cases.
Penang youth, sports, and health committee chairman Daniel Gooi Zi Sen acknowledged the increasing trend nationwide with the cumulative number of dengue cases in Malaysia increasing from 66,102 cases in 2022 to 123,133 by Dec 30, 2023.
He said the Penang government had implemented proactive measures, such as community clean-up efforts, which had increased five-fold compared to the initiatives carried out in 2022.
“Compound actions and enforcement have also been intensified in neglected environments,” Gooi said.
He said the state was committed to combatting dengue fever through the Special Dengue Task Force Committee, aimed at enhancing collaboration among agencies involved in the efforts.
“A noteworthy undertaking is the implementation of the Communication For Behavioural Impact (Combi) Programme at both district and state levels to control the spread of dengue fever.”
He said one of the committee’s key strategies was empowering communities to actively prevent and control dengue.
More stringent measures would be implemented this year to combat the disease in Penang, said Gooi.
“We also expect that communities and the public will collaborate to guarantee an environment free from mosquito breeding,” he added.
