Debated in Parliament on 12 Aug 2013.
Mr Alex Yam Ziming asked the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources with the dengue epidemic that started in May 2013 (a) what plans does the Ministry have in place to deal with any potential repeat of the epidemic on an annual basis; (b) what are some of the new vector control methods that have been introduced in 2013; (c) how many households and corporations have been issued summonses for breeding despite earlier warnings since May 2013; and (d) whether more proactive measures will be taken to engage and prepare the community in advance for future threats.
Dengue is a recurrent and ongoing threat to public health in Singapore. An effective vaccine is not yet available. Consequently, our strategy is to minimise the epidemic potential of dengue through preventive surveillance, elimination of mosquito breeding areas, exterminating adult mosquitoes, public education, community involvement and
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local enforcement. This is supplemented by local research on biological and medical aspects of the disease and evaluation of new modalities for disease control.
For example, an Intensive Source Reduction Exercise (ISRE) targeting potentially large breeding habitats, such as construction sites, water tanks and drains, is carried out annually. Home owners and premise managers are reminded to step up surveillance of their respective premises and areas of activity before the start of the dengue peak season, usually from June to October. In addition, NEA officers begin to step up indoor inspections within high-risk areas in the lead-up to the usual peak dengue season. In areas of ongoing dengue transmission, indoor spraying of insecticide is carried out to eliminate adult mosquitoes. If a high Aedes population is detected outdoors, thermal fogging may be conducted.
Besides anti-dengue operations, NEA also conducts practical research on disease control. The gravitraps that were designed by NEA have been utilised in dengue clusters since 2012, to monitor the adult mosquito population and assess the effectiveness of vector control efforts. Earlier this year, NEA also co-designed with an insecticide company an aerosol spray called the "Mozzie Zap". NEA officers are equipped with the "Mozzie Zap" for application to the dark or shady corners of homes where mosquitoes are likely to rest. This supplements the Ultra-Low Volume (ULV) misting and enhances the effectiveness of the anti-mosquito efforts.
To help residents protect themselves from mosquito bites and thereby break the chain of transmission, NEA has started distributing insect repellents to all households and schools in the dengue clusters.
To control dengue, everyone has to play his or her part to prevent mosquito breeding. NEA steps up its public outreach efforts prior to the onset of the dengue season, using both mainstream and social media platforms to heighten awareness and urge everyone to take immediate action on potential breeding habitats. NEA also mobilises its network of over 2,000 dengue prevention volunteers to remind local residents to remove stagnant water in their homes and so on. We hope that the provision of timely accurate local data would encourage residents to take the necessary precautions to protect their own families and neighbourhood.
Enforcement remains a necessary component of our overall approach. Since the launch of NEA's "Do The Mozzie Wipe-out" campaign on 28 April 2013,
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the number of summonses issued to households in cluster areas has decreased slightly from 181 in April to 175 in June. The number of repeat offenders has also decreased from 10 in April to four in June. We are pleased that NEA has observed a substantial decrease in breeding habitats in homes from about 1,200 in April to about 700 in June.1 These results are preliminary but are encouraging. Better community awareness and preparation should drive down the number of breeding habitats further. The peak dengue season is not over yet and everyone should do whatever he can to protect himself and his loved ones against dengue.
PAPERCUTS