We combat dengue fever in 2014: Have you played your part?

Dengue fever, a topical virus spread by mosquito, is a global burden. It has grown significantly around the world in recent decades.

Over 2.5 billion people – over 40% of the world's population – are now at risk from dengue.

World Health Organisation (WHO) currently estimates there may be 50–100 million dengue infections worldwide every year.

And recently the number of reported cases worldwide has continued to increase.



In Malaysia, the graph for dengue fever cases seemed volatile – with a high of 49,335 cases in 2008 and 6, 543 cases in 1995.

And this year alone, as of eve of Christmas day 2014, 103, 753 cases were reported.


On March 2nd this year, Astro Awani was saddened by devastating news. Cause of devastation is dengue, the villain – Aedes mosquito.

Our visual editor, Khairul Anwar Che Ramli, fondly known as Samson, succumbed to dengue fever.

He was only 33 and he left behind his one year old son and his 27 years old wife who is a home maker.

Realising this plight, Astro Awani pledged to combating ignorance towards dengue.


#CukupSetakatSamson


#CukupSetakatSamson was a campaign promoting and disseminating and sharing of information and facts on this killer illness on all platforms.

This campaign aims to show and prove that a little effort can actually brings huge change in aid to eradicate and lessen this plague - where people of all walks of life can contribute their stories and remedies towards dengue free lifestyle.

Months after Samson left us, while the #CukupSetakatSamson campaign is in full swing, Astro Awani’s Chief Editor, Suhaimi Sulaiman's father became the next victim of dengue fever.

On August 16, Haji Sulaiman Mataan went to meet his maker after four days battling with this fatal illness.




Educate to eradicate

Education is most vital in facing any form of challenges. Aside from keeping clean and making sure surroundings are free from any chance of Aedes mosquito to breed, knowing the signs and symptoms of dengue fever is equally important.

The virus commonly started with fever, chills and headaches – the typical symptoms of viral fever.

Even doctors can’t really tell whether one is having a viral fever or dengue fever. It is when ones hands and feet erupted with red dots and when the hurt is unbearable, that’s when one knows he or she is infected with dengue fever. By then, it could be a second too late.

Dengue has become so common in this millennium that even in our very own office, in Astro Awani, the number of people who has had dengue and survived is rather alarming.

For instance, Kamarul Bahrin Harun, one of Astro Awani’s notable hosts and executive editors, survived three strains of dengue fever, with one being stronger and more and more agonizing after another.

Zan Azlee, our digital news editor and award winning solo journalist was also affected when he collapsed in the office and got diagnosed with dengue.

Over the years here, many other Awani staffs got the dengue fever and survived. Nonetheless, it was not at all a comforting state to be.

The war on dengue virus and Aedes mosquito has become personal.

War on Dengue

A lot of campaigns have been created by all parties. A lot of funds have been invested to make sure that this deadly fever by a puny insect can be eradicated or at least kept to a small number.

For example, aside from #CukupSetakatSamson is War on Dengue Campaign by iM4U and the Malaysian Integrated Medical Professionals Association (MIMPA).

Together, both NGOs looks to further support all current and ongoing initiatives set in place by the Malaysian Ministry of Health (MOH) in the plight of eradicating dengue along with breading hotspots all across Malaysia.

And like Astro Awani, The War on Dengue Campaign’s primary objective is not limited to creating national awareness alone, but also to empower communities by providing them with the platform to voice plus the necessary tools to do their part.

This also aims to bridge the gap between the initiatives of MOH and other NGOs to empower the community to play their part in the effective and efficient elimination of dengue.

In light that the fight against dengue has become far more complex to be sustained by the efforts of a few, calling upon other entities to fight the war against dengue together with the Ministry of Health has since become essential.

The War on Dengue Campaign is a year-long, nationwide initiative which will see numerous phases of activations, which stretches across Malaysia to both urban and rural areas.

Like everything else, prevention is always better than cure and education is key.