Rundi (second right) and City Hall director-general Datuk Yeoh Boon Hai joining volunteers in cleaning up Taman Sempelang yesterday.
KOTA KINABALU: Dengue awareness campaigns have been largely effective due the failure of the public to change their attitude to ensure their surroundings are clean.
And it is their ignorance that contributed to the increasing number of dengue cases in the state, said Sabah Health Department director Dr Christina Rundi.
“It only takes you just 10 minutes per week to do some cleaning up around your house and lawn to get rid of the mosquitoes breeding ground. Just make sure that there is no still water as it is the best place for mosquitoes to breed,” she said.
Rundi disclosed that this year alone, as of Feb 27, a total of 251 dengue cases were reported in Sabah, recording an increase of 46.8 per cent compared to 171 cases in the same period of last year.
During the same period, the state capital tops the list with the highest number of 55 cases, followed by Tawau (51) and Tuaran (29).
Meanwhile, during the same period, 12 out of 25 districts in Sabah showed a significant increase in dengue cases including Tenom with 350 per cent, Tuaran (314.3 per cent) and Tawau (131.8 per cent).
Rundi added that the department, with the collaboration of other relevant authorities, would continue to work closely to eradicate dengue through awareness campaigns.
“I hope that it would bring positive changes to the people’s way of thinking.” she told reporters this after the ‘Jom Hapus’ programme to clean up aedes mosquitoes breeding areas at Taman Sempelang in Sembulan, yesterday.
The event was jointly organised by the department and Kota Kinabalu City Hall.
Earlier in her speech, Rundi said at least 20 to 30 dengue cases were reported weekly in Sabah, while the whole nation reported a total of 500 cases daily, and between 2,000 and 2,500 cases recorded weekly.
She added that at least 43 compounds amounting to RM20,700 were issued to premises owners under the Destruction of Disease-Bearing Insects Act 1975 after aedes larvaes were found within their compound.
Between January and Feb 27, a total of 338 notices were issued for similar cases.
She said that the Health Ministry’s operations room nationwide is open round-the-clock to monitor dengue cases in all states.