Lack of awareness causing increase in dengue, chikungunya in Ipoh

The lack of awareness of cleanliness among residents is among the main contributors to the increase in the number of dengue and chikungunya in Kampung Simee in the Kinta district.

Ipoh City Council member Khoo Boon Chuan said to date, 14 dengue and seven chikungunya cases have been recorded in the area since the end of April, the highest in the city.

“Some of the residents have not maintained their septic tanks properly and throw out tins and utensils which can store water, allowing the Aedes mosquito to breed,” he told reporters after a programme to promote to combat the spread of dengue and chikungunya held at the Kampung Simee community hall in Ipoh today.

Khoo urged the public not to leave the responsibility of fighting the outbreak totally to the authorities.

“I admit that there are several aspects of prevention which come under the local authorities, but without the support of the public, the efforts will not succeed,” he said.

Commenting on the programme today, Khoo said it was a platform to promote public awareness to work together to preserve the cleanliness, especially in their own homes.

“Besides being a small-scale gotong-royong, this programme will also foster and inform the public so that they are aware of ways to prevent the spread of the diseases,” he said.

On May 30, Perak Health director Dr Ding Lay Ming said 441 chikungunya cases were recorded in Perak since January until May 23, a 30-fold increase compared to the period before.

A total of 12 of the 14 localities where the diseases have spread are in the Kinta district, while the other two are in Kampar.

- Bernama