Dengue outbreak subsiding: Government

Leony Aurora , The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Although the number of people infected with dengue fever is steadily declining, the government is still maintaining an alert in 12 provinces and keeps reminding citizens to continue to eradicate potential mosquito breeding places.

Minister of Health Achmad Sujudi said during a visit to Pasar Rebo Hospital in East Jakarta on Monday that the extraordinary status would possibly be lifted in late April or May.

Sujudi urged people to clean their water tanks regularly. If people could not afford that, he suggested they remove larvae using a cup and pour the water through a piece of cloth.

Dengue virus is spread by the Aedes Aegypti mosquito, which breeds in standing water. A jumantik (larvae monitoring officer) is usually needed to recognize the larvae.

Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare Jusuf Kalla said last month the government would deploy 10,000 jumantik in 10,000 villages across the country. They are tasked with disseminating information regarding dengue fever and to conduct door-to-door checks on mosquito larvae.

Head of the national dengue eradication team I Nyoman Kandun said on Monday Jakarta was the only province to have recruited the officers. Other local administrations could not afford to pay the workers, he said, although the central government was willing to provide Rp 250,000 (US$29.41) as a monthly subsidy for each jumantik.

"Dengue management is the responsibility of local administrations. The central government only provides assistance and guidance," said Kandun.

Although Jakarta still tops the 12 provinces in terms of the number of patients, it has already seen a sharp decline.

"On March 28, 127 patients were admitted to hospitals in Jakarta," said Taufik Alif Fuad of the Jakarta Health Agency. In comparison, in the third week of February, he said, some 500 new patients were admitted to hospitals daily.

This year, 558 people have died of dengue fever among the 49,167 people affected nationwide. The fatality rate remains stable at 1.2 percent.