Press
Release!! 8th of January 2003
The
Ministry of Health now confirms that there is a dengue outbreak
of Dengue Type 1 in specific areas in Suva & Lautoka.
Following
the 3 confirmed Dengue Cases in Suva, the 3 Dengue cases
in Lautoka and the reported dengue outbreak in Wallis &
Futuna in September 2002, the Ministry of Health had put
out a Dengue Alert Warning to all Health Personnels &
Health facilities, all Town & City Councils, all Rural
Local Authorities & the general public at large to
strengthen the Dengue Prevention awareness &
control activities.
Fifty
one (51) cases were confirmed in Lautoka during November
– December 2002 period in which the Ministry collaborated
with the Lautoka City Council to address the issue appropriately.
There was focal spraying, active community mobilization
in terms of mosquito breeding places some reduction with
general clean up campaign of households, compounds &
other areas. The
number of cases reported from Lautoka has since decreased
dramatically.
A
total of 117 Dengue cases were confirmed in 2002.
In
the past few days, 16 Dengue cases were reported from CWM
Hospital & Suva Private Hospital and the outbreak has
been confirmed in Suva. The regions affected are mainly within the Grantham
Road – Laucala Bay Road, Nasinu – Caubati – Narere – Nakasi
areas.
The
other areas in Fiji are still under the Dengue Alert warning
and everyone should take heed of this caution.
The
Ministry of Health has activated it’s Dengue Outbreak Task
Force with an action plan to respond & monitor the situation.
These include:
Press
release with continuing Public Update on Dengue Outbreak
information
- Active
Community Mobilisation of Mosquito breeding places some
reduction, collaboration with City & Town Councils,
strengthen clean up campaigns in individual Household,
compounds & localised spraying of identified affected
areas:
- Strengthen
Health Promotion &Dengue awareness messages in TV
& Radio spots, IEC Materials, newspapers & public
radio broadcasts.
- Utilisation
of the Dengue Clinical Management Guidelines of Health
Personnels.
- Ongoing
Surveillance & monitoring of cases within the Divisional
Health Services.
Localised
spraying in Suva areas commences today and second round
of spraying in the identified areas in Lautoka & Labasa
will be done next week.
The
government is providing $40,000 initially for these dengue
outbreak activities. The
World Health Organisation has also provided some assistance
for this Dengue outbreak.
Therefore,
the Ministry of Health is requesting everyone to clean up
their own Households & compounds, workplaces, schools
& other areas in the community & destroy all the
potential mosquito breeding places and source reduction
as this is everyone’s responsibility.
Hence,
we need to ‘STOP THIS DENGUE OUTBREAK, as collectively
together we can.”
Dr
T Tuiketei
for
Acting Permanent Secretary for Health
