It’s Not Just Mosquitoes Causing Dengue, It’s Apathy

Walk around your local neighbourhood and you are sure to spot various pieces of garbage in the form of plastic containers and bags. After rainfall, the stagnant water that collects in these pieces of trash will become ideal breeding ground for mosquitoes, said the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) During a state-wide clean-up organised by the Housing and Local Government Ministry, city council and state government officials identified 21 localities as dengue hotspots in Petaling Jaya, including the Taman Medan Cahaya low-cost flats, reported The Star. As of 9th April, Selangor recorded the highest number of dengue cases in the country with 22,754 cases, said Selangor Housing and Urban Living Committee chairman Haniza Talha. One of the main causes is attributed to the people’s lack of civic-mindedness. As of 9th April, Selangor recorded the highest number of dengue cases in the country with 22,754 cases. (Image Credit: The Star) Keep Living Spaces Clean and Neat The public would often just wait for the authorities to clean up after them instead of taking active steps to curb the dengue menace. Haniza said that people should not throw rubbish everywhere as this will attract mosquitoes in their neighbourhood. In fact, there are now more mosquito breeding grounds in public spaces rather than inside people’s homes. However, the chances of mosquito breeding grounds in residential areas should not be taken lightly. The Joint Management Body (JMB) of high-rise buildings and house owners should conduct their own regular checks for stagnant water. After Selangor, Kuala Lumpur has the highest number of dengue cases with 3,168 cases, closely followed by Johor and Penang with 3,106 and 2,200 cases respectively. Petaling Jaya mayor Datuk Mohd Sayuthi Bakar urged the public to keep their living spaces clean and neat. He added that the city council cannot be responsible for cleaning people’s homes, adding that people should not hoard plastic containers that would create stagnant water. Mohd Sayuthi said that even with ‘gotong-royong’ sessions, not all residents would participate and help in cleaning the area. He emphasised that this attitude needed to change and that it is up to the public themselves to keep their own home free of mosquito breeding grounds. For more information about parenting and family, please visit Motherhood.com.my.

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