Public health: Malaysia's dengue fever

Malaysia's Deputy Health Minister, Datuk Dr Abdul Latif Ahmad says that his department's research shows that the country's near 50% increase in reported cases of dengue fever since this time last year is due to people simply failing to act to reduce the number of breeding sites and other simple measures.

This year, the number of cases has shot up from 8,666 last year to 12,933 this. 35 people have died. Almost two thirds of the cases are in the districts containing Kuala Lumpur and its suburbs, particularly to the south and south west - the lowlands heading to the sea, where standing water is commonplace.

A survey has shown that 89% of Malaysians are aware of dengue fever and how it is spread. 79% can identify the breeding grounds of the Aedes mosquito.

But only 14%, said the minister, take steps to destroy the breeding grounds - which can be very small amounts of standing, still water including the stands for plant-pots.

Another initiative, called Communication for Behavioural Impact is a kind of information tree: people are taught how to deal with the problem, and then pass that onto their friends and colleagues. There are almost 12,000 volunteers working across almost 600 locations - and, says the minister, there has been a significant reduction in the number of cases in those areas.

A fever similar to dengue, chikungunya, has seen a reduction in the number of cases this year.