| NEWS ARCHIVES |
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| Dengue control successful |
| 8 Mar 2010 |
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The National Environment Agency or NEA was able to reduce the incidence of dengue by 36 per cent last year compared to 2008.
And for the first two months of this year, the incidence was 35 per cent lower than the corresponding period last year.
Dr Amy Khor, Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Environment and Water Resources, gave this update in parliament.
She said results in the last two years show that the NEA's integrated approach to dengue control has been successful.
"The key thrust of this approach is preemptive source reduction, which denies mosquitoes the place to breed. To this end, NEA enlists the participation of the community to ensure that everyone plays their part to prevent mosquito breeding."
Dr Khor added that the NEA also leverages research to guide its dengue control strategies.
She pointed out that the NEA's Environmental Health Institute has a dengue virus surveillance programme, that gives early warning of possible outbreaks.
The NEA is also working closely with the World Health Organisation to help build up the capability of member countries to prevent and control dengue.
But Dr Khor warned against complacency in the fight against dengue and other illnesses:
"Although we had a good year in 2009, our fight against vector-borne diseases is a continuing one and the public has a key role to play. We must continue to take ownership and ensure that our living environment is free of mosquito breeding." |