DENGUE SITUATION (Update)

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DENGUE SITUATION:

(Update): 4.

Dr Teo Ho Pin asked the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources if he will update the House on (i) the dengue situation in Singapore; (ii) the measures that have been implemented to prevent a further dengue outbreak; and (iii) the number of Town Councils that have appointed pest control operators to manage their respective estates.

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The Minister for the Environment and Water Resources (Assoc. Prof. Dr Yaacob Ibrahim): Mr Speaker, Sir, I am pleased to inform Members that the dengue situation in Singapore has improved and is now under control. Since October 2005, there has been a decrease in the weekly incidence of dengue cases. From a peak of 713 in September 2005, this has fallen to an average weekly number of 99 cases for the month of December 2005. This compares very well with 292 cases in the similar period of December 2004. The numbers have continued to fall to an average weekly number of 61 for January 2006.

Singapore, like the rest of the region, experienced a resurgence of dengue fever over the past few years. NEA has acted proactively in dengue surveillance and control in response to the rising dengue numbers. Since dengue is spread by the Aedes mosquito, the key to fighting dengue is to reduce mosquito breeding. Thus, when a dengue case is reported, NEA moves in immediately to search for all mosquito-breeding sources and destroy the mosquito larvae in the vicinity of the patient's home. To further enhance our efforts at mosquito surveillance and control, NEA has also increased its manpower for dengue operations since the beginning of 2005, in order to maintain immediate response to reported dengue cases and carry out more inspections. In all, NEA has deployed a total of about 510 staff on dengue operations as compared to 110 in early 2005, more than a four-fold increase.

Sir, at the same time, NEA is working intensively with the grassroots organisations to spread the anti-dengue message across to all our residents by extending the Mozzie Attack programme. This programme was launched in April 2004 in 10 constituencies. By June 2005, the programme had been extended to all 84 constituencies. Correspondingly, the total number of dengue prevention

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volunteers doubled from 2,000 in the previous year to 4,000 in 2005. Through these collective efforts, the total number of breeding sites found in NEA inspections fell from an average of 1,600 a month in 2004 to an average of 1,100 a month for 2005.

With the continued rise of dengue cases throughout South-East Asia, my Ministry adopted a more aggressive strategy to further reduce mosquito breeding. I have circulated a factsheet with more details of these measures to Members.

I am very pleased that our combined efforts have since led to the sharp reduction in the number of dengue

cases. Measures, such as the six-week island-wide carpet-combing exercise, increased flushing and inspection of drains, and a coordinated system of regular checks by Government agencies, have reduced mosquito breeding in common areas of residential estates and public areas. Through the "Campaign against Dengue", households and workers have played their part by incorporating dengue prevention measures as part of their daily routine.

Sir, we have also improved our systems to better prepare us to prevent and tackle any future outbreaks of dengue. As at end December 2005, 15 out of 16 Town Councils have appointed dedicated pest control operators to ensure that there are regular checks in the common areas of HDB estates. The CDCs have also actively helped in promoting dengue prevention and will continue to do so. We are engaging in more research to better understand mosquitoes and the dengue virus and to further improve on our dengue surveillance and control system.

While the Government is committed to the fight against dengue, it has been through the effort of all Singaporeans that we have kept dengue low. All of us

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Singaporeans must remain vigilant and diligent in preventing mosquito breeding. Dengue prevention begins at home and I would encourage everyone to continue to practise the five steps of the "Ten-Minute Mozzie Wipeout" routine to get rid of stagnant water, for example, by covering bamboo pole holders. I would also like to urge all households to help in getting rid of potential breeding sites in immediate surrounding areas, such as common corridors and walkways.

In addition, we all can play a part by acting responsibly and put litter in its right place. During the carpet combing blitz, litter and discarded receptacles, such as drinking cans, were found to be among the top three sources of mosquito breeding. Litter also clogs up our drains, causing water to stagnate.

While we maintain our regime of regular inspections, the public can continue to be our eyes and ears for possible mosquito breeding sites. I would like to encourage the public to continue using the dengue hotlines to alert us to stagnant water, choked drains or other potential mosquito breeding sites.

The partnership between the Government and the people has helped bring down dengue significantly, and I would like to reiterate my sincere thanks to everyone who participated in the fight against dengue. With the collective efforts of everyone, we can continue to maintain a low incidence of dengue and enjoy a high standard of public health in Singapore.