DILI, 4 january 2022 (TATOLI) – Timor-Leste’s health authorities had reported more than 200 cases of dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF), with six deaths nationally within the month of december 2021.
The Head of Dili Municipal Health Services, Agustinha Segurado informed that dengue and severe dengue pose a public health problem in Timor-Leste every year due to environmental factors.
“Environmental factors are the main causes in contributing to an increase in the transmission of diseases by vectors,” Segurado made the comments at the Ministry of Health, in Dili, on tuesday.
She said vector control remains still the primary method to prevent dengue infections: “Environmental interventions to control dengue vectors are important: “I call on communities to clean and look after the area where they live to ensure the environmental management of dengue mosquito populations.”
At the same place, Seguradu said the mitigation of the outbreaks and prevention of dengue diseases also depends largely on vector control however they are running out of the insecticidal spray.
“It was true that some community members always complain about government action in carrying out the thermal fogging applications to control the dengue mosquito populations. The mitigation of outbreaks and prevention of dengue diseases in a city like Dili depend largely on vector control. But unfortunately, we are running out of the insecticidal spray,” she said.
The aim of the mosquito fogging operations is to kill, or ‘knock down’, any adult dengue mosquitoes that may be carrying the dengue virus.
Segurado urged parents who suspect their children to be suffering from dengue infections, to immediately send them to state-run hospitals for treatment: “Many parents send their kids to hospitals when the situation of their children was getting worse, making it difficult for the hospitals to save these children.”
It is recalled that in Timor-Leste, a total of 672 cases of dengue were recorded in 2021, with eight deaths nationally.
Journalist: Filomeno Martins
Editor: Nelia Borges Rosario
