Terengganu has been hit by negative headlines over the past week due to the dengue outbreak.
It is a reflection of the lackadaisical attitude among the people who leave cleanliness solely to the authorities.
Note that the number of dengue cases in the state are no longer at the epidemic level, but an outbreak means the situation can only get worse unless concerted effort is made at every level of society to prevent its spread. It also means the disease is no longer confined to urban areas. A total of 185 cases were reported from Jan 3 to Jan 12, and 19 cases were reported on Jan 12 alone.
Cases were reported in many districts and villages, but early treatment prevented fatalities. However, three fatalities were reported so far this month alone, when there were only five cases last year and two cases in 2013.
Besides road accidents and chronic diseases, dengue infection now ranks highly in causes of death in the country. And, to reflect the fact that it is a dangerous disease, most major hospitals have specific wards to treat dengue victims.
Like most diseases, dengue can be prevented. But to prevent it, cleanliness must be diligently practised by all and it must start at home.
Most dengue cases in Terengganu were in areas where rubbish was strewn all over in clogged drains as well as pools of stagnant water where the Aedes aegypti mosquito larvae thrives. There is no vaccine for dengue and so far the best form of prevention is to reduce the number of mosquito breeding sites.
State Health director Dr Mohammad Omar had said that the water trapped at rubbish sites or in
discarded containers were conducive breeding grounds for the vector.
“It is hard for mosquitoes to breed during the rainy season due to the constant flow of rainwater which flushes away mosquito larvae. Things are different after the rainy season. Rainwater trapped in discarded containers or polystyrene containers become ideal mosquito breeding sites.”
Now, if unwanted containers and polystyrene boxes are disposed of properly, logically mosquitoes will not have a place to breed and there will not be a dengue outbreak.
Last week, after the three deaths in Kuala Terengganu were reported, a gotong-royong involving the residents of Panji Alam, health authorities and the local council was hastily organised to clear away suspected mosquito breeding grounds.
Such a swift response to check the mosquito-borne disease is commendable but it would not have been necessary if residents had taken more care to keep their premises clean in the first place.
Cleanliness should not be left to the authorities alone. Yes, the authorities will collect rubbish and clear clogged drains, but they are not obliged to pick up discarded tin cans or polystyrene boxes in the compounds of houses. That is the duty of the house owners.
All they have to do is to dispose of these mosquito breeding containers to be collected by council workers. It is that easy, but because of the “tidak apa” attitude, action is only taken when people die.
Community leaders, who are the closest to the people, should advise those under their care to improve cleanliness within their premises and not wait for a gotong-royong or fatalities to occur.
It costs almost nothing to pick up empty cans that can host mosquito larvae and dump them in rubbish bins provided by local councils.
But, a gotong-royong which involves the government machinery costs money that could otherwise be used for other purposes.
Sadly, even as the gotong-royong was taking place, it was clear that some residents did not understand the gravity of the situation.
They did not join in but only smiled at the participants who were cleaning their compounds.
Maybe, it is time for health officers to impose maximum fines on house owners who turn their homes and compounds into breeding grounds for mosquitoes and conduct inspections year round to promote awareness of the danger of dengue.
When lives are at stake, it is time to get tough.
The writer is NST’s Specialist Writer based in Terengganu. He is an
environmentalist and enjoys capturing the beauty of flora and fauna in its fragile environment. He draws inspiration from cross country drives on and off-road adventures