Climate change blamed for rise in diseases

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Havier rainfall created favourable conditions for the mosquitoes to breed, leading to dengue, chikungunya: Goh

SIBU: The outbreak of mosquito-borne diseases like dengue and chikungunya in Sarawak could be attributed to the phenomenon of climate change.

LET’S START CLEANING: Goh (fourth left) with the teachers and school staff at the cleaning campaign at SK Hua Hin.

LET’S START CLEANING: Goh (fourth left) with the teachers and school staff at the cleaning campaign at SK Hua Hin.

Pelawan assemblyman Vincent Goh said the recent declaration of dengue outbreak in a few towns in Sarawak by the State Health Office should serve as a wake-up call to help prevent its spread.

Speaking at the ‘Program gotong-royong warga SK Hua Hin English Sibu’ event yesterday, he said climate change had created an unpredictable weather pattern worldwide and that in Malaysia, it was no exception.

“We see that when it is dry, it will be extremely dry and it brings disasters like forest fires, haze and health-related problems.  When it is wet, it is extremely wet; and coming with it are problems of floods and those related to health.”

He said heavier rainfall this year had created favourable conditions for the mosquitoes to breed – a cause for the rise in dengue and chikungunya cases.

The Health Ministry said in June, the number of fatalities grew rapidly in Peninsular Malaysia until the battle against dengue was lost.

“The ministry sent an SOS to the public, calling for a community fight against the disease’s spread.”

Goh urged schools to play a role in teaching public hygiene to maintain health and prevent the disease’s spread. He also called on them to start mitigation work on the climate.

To prevent the mosquito-borne diseases, all citizens had a role in keeping their compounds clean, he said.

“Cleaning campaign is a duty of utmost importance now. In schools, the effort is recommendable and must be carried out regularly.”