MEMBERS of the public, especially those living in areas at risk of flooding, have been advised to be vigilant by keeping the surroundings clean, to avoid the spread of dengue fever.

Health Minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa said this follows the ministry detecting an upward trend of cases in six states.

“The northeast monsoon, which brings heavy rains, causes stagnant water areas, so dengue cases will increase.

“There are states with an upward trend of dengue fever cases, such as Selangor, Penang, Perak, Pahang, Sabah and Sarawak. However, the situation is under control,” she said after officiating at the state-level Madani Afiat and the Agenda Nasional Malaysia Sihat (ANMS) tour, at SMK Bukit Gambir in George Town today.

Zaliha said looking after the environment, especially at home, is important so that dengue fever does not spread.

She also advised those who have dengue fever symptoms to immediately seek treatment at a nearby health facility.

“We are concerned that the number of cases will increase if no preventive measures are taken, and the most worrying is if there is a death, because dengue fever is a disease that can cause death.

“The most important thing is to eliminate the (Aedes mosquito) breeding grounds,” she said.

Earlier, Health director-general Dr Muhammad Radzi Abu Hassan said the cumulative number of dengue fever cases reported in the 44th Epidemiological Week, from October 29 to November 4, had increased by 96.9% to 100,936, compared with 51,262 reported for the same period last year.

Meanwhile, when asked about the Control of Smoking Products for Public Health Bill 2023, Zaliha assured that it will be tabled before the Dewan Rakyat session ends at the end of this month.

However, she declined to comment when asked about the statement issued by the Attorney-General’s Chambers yesterday, stating that it has been consistent in its legal opinion since 2022 that the provisions with regard to the generational endgame provided in the bill, can be challenged in court.

Zaliha also said the ministry is concerned about the increase in hypertension and diabetes cases, due to the failure to do early screening.

She said early screening is crucial, as both are chronic diseases that can result in complications from damage to vital organs such as the kidneys, eyes and heart, if left untreated.

“Of late, especially after the Covid-19 pandemic, there is an upward trend of non-communicable diseases such as hypertension and diabetes,” she said.

“More worrying is that 50% of people with hypertension and diabetes do not realise they have the disease, as they do not perform screening at the initial stage.”

A total of 2,701 people, aged 18 and above, were screened during the Madani Afiat and ANMS in Selangor, Kedah, Terengganu, Johor, Perak and Malacca.

The house-to-house screening carried out detected 978 individuals suffering from hypertension, while another 681 had diabetes. – Bernama, November 19, 2023.