KOTA KINABALU: People need to play a more active role to eliminate Aedes mosquito breeding sites.
A fogging operation led by the Sabah Health department two days ago found that many households had failed to take basic precautions to prevent mosquitoes from breeding on their premises.
The operation, the first in a series dubbed Op Mega Kawalan dan Pencegahan Denggi, which is aimed at eliminating Aedes mosquitoes in the state, is currently focused on Penampang.
Two people in the state have died from dengue-one here and the other in Semporna.
A senior officer said over-dependence on the authorities to carry out the task of eliminating Aedes breeding grounds was a major contributor to the outbreak, which prompted the large-scale exercise.
The department's entomology unit officer Adleen Shareeza Ahmad Puah said the fogging session focused on Sembulan Baru, Grace Court and Grace Ville.
“The vector control can be done more effectively if everyone plays their role such as cleaning their houses, as a precaution,” she said.
City Hall health director Robert Lipon said the authorities had been collecting garbage and clearing drains in commercial areas according to schedule.
"However, it is the responsibility of the community to ensure the cleanliness of their own premises," he said in statement.
Sembulan resident Mohd Lani Manat, 55, said he made it a point to keep his house clean but added authorities needed to pay more attention to the state of drains
"The authorities should take responsibility for that," he said in the area the the drains are clogged, cemetery neglected and unoccupied houses with pots filled with stagnant water.
Resident Pelin Said, 50, who has had family members admitted to hospital after being diagnosed with dengue, said he used mosquito coils to keep mosquitoes at bay.
"I have lived in this are for more than 20 years and for it to become a hot spot for dengue it worrying."
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