Cirebon students help fight dengue fever

Nana Rukmana, The Jakarta Post, Cirebon, West Java

Facing the threat of an increase in cases of dengue fever during the wet season, the Cirebon municipal administration has involved students in its campaign to wipe out mosquito larvae in their extracurricular activities at schools.

"The campaign is a strategic step in preventing the spread of dengue fever," said head of Cirebon's dengue fever task force Ano Sutrisno, who is also the municipal secretary.

The program, which has received the full support of the local health and education office as well as the city council, is being conducted to prevent a repeat of the dengue outbreak in 2003, when four of 143 people died. Last year, one person died of dengue fever.

Under the plan, Ano said his office would instruct 37,000 elementary school students in ways to prevent the spread of mosquito larvae in their neighborhoods.

The similar campaign would also be introduced to 10,000 junior high school students and 10,000 senior high school students.

Armed with their knowledge, the students are expected to destroy the aedes aegypty mosquito larvae, the carriers of dengue.

"They are expected to, at first, clean up their houses and neighborhood," said Ano, adding that through the program, the students would also learn about social responsibility.

A seventh grader Arief Gumay Gunadi said he was satisfied with the campaign.

The student at SMPN 1 junior high school said the campaign gave him the knowledge that the disease was actually spread by aedes aegypty mosquitoes and still but clean water was an ideal breeding place for the mosquitoes.

"I understand about dengue fever much better now and I will throw away anything that can be used as a breeding place by mosquitoes," Arief said recently.

The Cirebon municipality has declared all but one of its 22 subdistricts as endemic to dengue fever.

Mayor Subardi said that a study conducted by the city's health office in the beginning of the rainy season last year showed the disease was endemic and widely spread.

"So far, none of the residents have contracted the disease, but we should start with preventive measures to deal with the disease quickly. Dengue fever is a recurring disease here and we intend to overcome this problem," Subardi said.

The 21 subdistricts are located in Cirebon's five districts of Kejaksan, Lemahwungkuk, Pekalipan, Kesambi and Harjamukti.

According to the head of the Cirebon Health Office, Sudiono Munada, the 21 subdistricts were classified as prone to dengue fever because of their dense population.

Excessive rainfall this month, as well as a poor drainage system, would worsen the problem as many places would become the perfect breeding place for the mosquitoes, he said.

He said that his office had taken the initial step, by fogging several densely populated areas as a preventive measure. His office has also instructed community health centers in the specified subdistricts to be fully prepared to prevent a massive spread of the disease.

Private and government-run hospitals have also been told to assist residents admitted to the hospital with symptoms of the disease, he added.

"All their medical expenses will be borne by the municipality," said Sudiono.