Public Apathy Not Helping Fight Against Mosquito-Borne Diseases

By Kisho Kumari Sucedaram KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 5 (Bernama) -- For many years, Malaysia has been coping with diseases such as malaria, chikungunya and dengue that are caused by mosquito-borne viruses. And now adding to the list is the Zika virus, which is transmitted through the Aedes Aegypti mosquito. With its tropical climate, Malaysia faces a bigger challenge in keeping these diseases at bay as the mosquito larval breeding sites are, to put it bluntly, simply enormous despite intensive and extensive control efforts by the local councils. Combating dengue remains a daunting task for the health authorities and things are going to get even more challenging with the emergence of the Zika virus in this part of the world. As a public health expert puts it, public apathy and indifference to keeping their homes and surroundings clean is allowing the Aedes mosquito to thrive. According to Health Minister Dr S. Subramaniam, a total of 77,144 cases of dengue fever with 174 deaths were reported in the country between January and Sept 7, compared to 84,457 cases with 232 deaths during the corresponding period last year. Malaysia reported its first case of Zika infection when a 58-year-old woman in Klang, Selangor, was tested positive for the disease a week after her return from Singapore on Aug 21. Five other Zika cases have also been confirmed in Malaysia as of Sept 22. It was reported that the Health Ministry had tested and monitored 122 mosquitoes caught in high-risk areas as of Sept 21, but none of the Aedes mosquitoes tested positive for the Zika virus. Besides existing efforts such as fogging, space spraying of insecticide (to kill adult mosquitoes), and larvaciding (to kill the larvae), should the authorities also consider imposing heavier penalties on people who allow mosquitoes to breed at their premises? COLLECTIVE RESPONSIBILITY Public health specialist Asso Prof Dr Malina Osman, however, contended that stiffer compounds or fines was not the solution to controlling mosquito breeding grounds. "It's in the hands of our society... the people have to realise that it's their responsibility to keep their surroundings and environment clean," said Malina, who is also a lecturer at Universiti Putra Malaysia's Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology. Pointing out that the existing law - Destruction of Disease-Bearing Insects Act 1975 - was adequate enough to penalise offenders, she stressed that collective responsibility was far more effective than law enforcement. She said based on her experience in the field of public health, society at large preferred to place the entire responsibility of containing diseases like dengue on the hands of the local council or health department. "They (the public) don't realise that they play an important role too in keeping their environment clean... they shouldn't think that it's entirely the government's responsibility," Malina told Bernama. When communities work in concord with the local authorities in eradicating mosquito breeding grounds, it would lead to more synergistic outcomes, she added. "If all of us take responsibility for the cleanliness of our homes and surroundings, we can all live in a cleaner and healthier environment." Malina was convinced that increasing the penalities under the Destruction of Disease-Bearing Insects Act would not work as, previously while working at the Health Ministry, she had observed that offenders, including business owners, would rather pay the compound than learn from their mistake. According to the Act, if a premise is found to be infested with Aedes larvae, the owner will be fined not more than US$120 (RM500) on the spot. Those who fail to pay the compound can be fined US$2,412 (RM10,000) or jailed two years for the first offence while repeat offenders may be fined up to US$12,064 (RM50,000) or jailed five years or both. A daily fine not more than RM500 will also be imposed until the source of infestation is destroyed. (US$1 = RM4.14) REVIEW EXISTING LAW Kuala Lumpur City Hall Health and Environment Department director Dr Hayati Abdullah also blamed the public's lackadaisical attitude for the rise in dengue cases, adding that some of them did not mind paying the compound or fine when nabbed for flouting the law. "Sad to say that we have a lot of repeat cases in both construction and residential areas, but we don’t tolerate repeat offenders and impose the maximum fine on them. "We do increase the compounds when dengue cases are at a peak, but the real problem lies with people who are not bothered about the enforcement," she said. Dean of Universiti Utara Malaysia's College of Law, Government and International Studies Asso Prof Dr Ahmad Martadha Mohamed, on the other hand, called for more punitive fines for those who flout the Destruction of Disease-Bearing Insects Act, asserting that this was the only way to compel the public to clear their premises of mosquito breeding grounds. "Most people are aware (that it is an offence if their premises are found to be infested with Aedes larvae) but they don’t really bother to take precautionary steps. This is why we need harsh punishment," he said. Since most people are repeat offenders, Ahmad Martadha said it was time the government took another look at the existing law and raised the penalties. -- BERNAMA