Clean-up work done following a spike in dengue cases around Selangor
The Allied Against Dengue (AAD) initiative, founded by GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare (GSK), initiated a clean-up recently, to help fight the rising number of dengue cases in the Klang Valley, particularly in the state of Selangor.
Recently, the Ministry of Health reported that out of 55,184 dengue cases in Malaysia during January to end-September 2018, the state of Selangor recorded the highest number of dengue cases with
31,181 people reported having the disease.
“The number of cases recorded in Selangor makes up more than 50 per cent of the rest of Malaysia! This is an alarming trend that should be managed as dengue can cause fatal complications. GSK along with other AAD partners have been championing the cause of dengue prevention and we’re proud to help make Klang Valley a cleaner and safer place for its residents,” said GSK general manager Bryan Wong.
This year, the AAD initiative saw 160 GSK staff, together with representatives from Guardian Malaysia, and the local councils of Ampang and Subang Jaya, participate in a simultaneous clean-up at three residential areas namely, Hulu Kelang, Petaling Jaya and Sunway.
Typically, the Aedes mosquito is known to be able to breed in clean stagnant water that can be easily found in homes. Hence, the half-day clean-up saw the participants clear rubbish and drains to ensure that any possible Aedes mosquito breeding grounds were eliminated.
Last year, GSK revealed through its South East Asia (SEA) Dengue Survey, that just over half of the individuals surveyed described themselves as knowledgeable about dengue. – The Health
