Dengue & Chikungunya Outbreak 骨痛热症与基孔肯雅症

马华政府政策监督局记者会

日期：2008年12月31日

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截至12月31日，我国的骨痛热症病例肯定将超过4万6千宗。直至12月15日，骨痛热症的死亡病例已经达到106宗，相比于去年97宗，增加了9宗。

在马来西亚，骨痛热症是一种常见的疾病。此疫症也不容易受到控制，因为黑斑蚊繁殖力强，特别是在多雨的热带地区更容易大量繁殖。

卫生部和地方政府也在尽力控制骨痛热症蔓延，不过，有关当局目前所采取的措施并

不足够:

1)教育宣传不足。电子和平面媒体应该加强报道骨痛热症和基孔肯雅病症的传染途径、症状等讯息，解释两种病症的联系。很多人不知道，这两种病症都是由黑斑蚊传染。若被带有基孔肯雅病毒的毒蚊叮咬，病人会被传染基孔症。

2)有关当局应在各州和总部委任指定官员，每周向媒体汇报疫情进展，一旦爆发疫症，公众必须立即受通知以相互配合。因为缺乏讯息，坊间不断流传不实的死亡病例和投诉个案，造成人心惶惶。

3)迄今，基孔肯雅病例已达到4千宗，创下国内有史以来最高，但却很少人了解和知道这种病症的存在。由于这是由外传入的疾病，卫生部必须加强教育公众如何防范。

4)卫生部应以身作则，尤其在骨痛热症黑区率领地方政府启动防范措施，系统化展开防范和教育运动，而非在事发后才有所行动。

5)我们发现在许多容易滋生蚊虫的地方都没有定期进行清理。由于人民不主动参与清洁运动，这项任务被迫落在地方政府和卫生局身上。

换言之，有关当局选择低调处理、默不做声或责怪人民，都无助于控制疾病继续蔓延。有关疾病不会因此消失。

人民想要看到卫生部和地方府给予关注，以及主导防范和应对措施。此外，当局也应长期举办教育和资讯展览，灌输正确资讯。

人民希望政府领导他们，及解决他们的问题，而不是后知后觉，或等事情发生后才采取行动。

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Press statement

The number of Dengue cases by the end of the year will surely exceed 46,000 cases.

Death by the 15^th December 2008 was 106 cases, compared to 97 cases last year.

Dengue fever is an endemic disease in our country.  It is not an easy disease to control since mosquitoes breeds easily especially when the hot spells is interspersed with heavy rainfall. 

While the MOH and local authority are doing its best to control Dengue and also Chikungunya, it should be doing more.

1) There is lack of publicity in the media, both print and electronic, about the disease. The media should educate the public about the difference between Dengue and Chikungunya disease, as many are not aware of it.

2) A designated officer should be appointed both at the state and HQ level to brief the media every week.  The public needs to be notified about the epidemic and its co-operation is important.  

Because of lack of information, there are also rumours about death and all sorts of complications and this has struck fear among the Rakyat.

3) Very few people have heard of Chikungunya although the number of cases reported is about 4000.  Since this is an imported disease, the MOH have to be more proactive in educating the public. Chikungunya cases reported this year is the highest ever recorded in the country.

4) MOH has to lead by example to the local authority, where most cases of the Dengue are reported, of which the disease prevention exercises and awareness education should be carried out systematically, not doing it only after the disease spreads.

5) We notice a lack of gotong royong session of clearing up potential breeding places of mosquitoes.  The rakyat often do not play an active role and the Pihak Berkuasa Tempatan (PBT) as well as the Local Health Authority has to take charge. 

We cannot control an ongoing epidemic by being low key and air of silence.  The disease will not blow away. 

Blaming the rakyat’s  “tidak apa attitude” will not change the course of the epidemic. The rakyat want MOH and local authority to show leadership and concern. 

Education and public exhibition should be an on going exercise. 

The rakyat want the government to provide leadership and solution to their problems.