DILI, 7 december 2022 (TATOLI) – The Director-General of Health Services Delivery of the Ministry of Health (MoH), Odete da Silva Viegas called on communities to clean their neighborhoods amid a surge in dengue cases recently in recent weeks.
She said Climate change and environmental factors are likely to expand the distribution of several vector-borne human infectious diseases. The risk of dengue transmission is increased by warming climates, as the growth and development of mosquitoes are significantly influenced by temperature and humidity.
“Communities need to routinely carry out cleanup activities in the areas where they live to destroy the mosquitos breeding sites,” Viegas told reports at Delta Nova, in Dili, on friday.
MoH continues its mosquito control program including fogging operations and abate distributions program to prevent the growth of mosquito population in areas with high risk for dengue fever.
“The mortality rate dengue has surpassed one percent in Timor-Leste, which is considered to be a pandemic,” she said.
“This year, we have recorded 146 cases nationally, and 133 cases were detected in Dili alone.”
She said the health authorities are currently using Vera Cruz Medical Health Care center to accommodate hospitalized patients with dengue to have intensive treatment.
Earlier this week, the Head of the Dili Municipal Health Service, Agustina Segurado informed that Timor-Leste had recorded more than eight deaths of dengue, adding the majority of them are minors.
She said a total of 672 cases of dengue were recorded in 2021, with eight deaths nationally.
To reduce the number of dengue cases in Dili, Health Authorities and the communities in the Dom Aleixo administrative post carried Neighborhoods Cleanup Activities to destroy mosquito breeding sites.
“The mosquito fogging operation is to kill, or ‘knock down’, any adult dengue mosquitoes that may be carrying the dengue virus. But, it is important to destroy the breeding sites of mosquitos as well to control the mosquito population,” said the Head Department of the Environmental Health of the Ministry of Health, Agostinho de Oliveira.
He said MoH has 20 boxes of Tamefos (trade name Abate) to be used to combat and prevent mosquitos in Dili.
Journalist: Filomeno Martins
Editor: Nelia Borges Rosario
