Agency to distribute insecticide

Agency to distribute insecticide

JAKARTA (JP): The City Health Agency, stretched to contain an
outbreak of mosquito-borne dengue fever, will distribute
insecticide and continue fumigation in subdistricts with known
high mosquito infestation.

Head of the agency's animal-related disease section Tini
Suryanti said on Friday the plan was adopted because there were
increasing reports of people suffering from the disease.

The agency recorded a total of 3,044 cases, with 16
fatalities, during the past three months. "The number of cases
has tripled, while the number of fatalities is double the figure
of the same period last year," Tini said.

Data also show that 55 subdistricts in the capital have been
categorized as "sources" of dengue fever. "Our efforts to conduct
fumigation and provide insecticide to kill mosquitoes' eggs in
stagnant water will be focused on those areas."

She said the insecticide would be used in houses and public
areas which were difficult to clean, such as abandoned residences
and public facilities. "The insecticide will effectively kill the
eggs for a period of three months."

The agency has allocated Rp 600 million for insecticide and Rp
1 billion for fumigation.

The insecticide, available at community health centers, will
be dispensed free of charge to the public.

Tini urged the public to strengthen cooperation with officials
in charge of public areas to take preventive measures, such as
keeping the areas clean, to break the life cycle of the
mosquitoes.

"All the insecticide won't do any good when garbage is still
strewn all over, allowing mosquitoes to breed. Hence, we appeal
to the general public to keep their living environment and areas
clean."

She said cooperation was established with the City Land
Transportation Agency, PD Pasar Jaya, which manages markets in
the capital, and public offices to ensure the implementation of
the "3M Movement". The preventative measures are the scrubbing
and closing of household water tanks and buckets, and the burying
of used cans.

She urged the public to follow the example of the East Java
city of Sidoarjo, which has been successful in containing dengue
without using insecticide.

"People in Sidoarjo worked together to reduce the cases of
dengue and they did not depend on the use of insecticide," she
said.

"Officials in West Jakarta are planning to issue two kinds of
stickers to indicate whether a house owner has properly
implemented the preventive measures."

The move is also expected to prod residents to clean up their
areas because it will be their responsibility to prevent the
spread of the disease.

Tini said the agency was also providing emergency beds in
hospitals for dengue patients. "So far, we have helped Pondok
Kopi Hospital with 70 beds."

The Ministry of Health earlier predicted the peak of the
dengue outbreak would occur in April. (06)