IT WAS ASEAN Dengue Day yesterday. Don’t you know? It was an advocacy event to increase public awareness on dengue, to mobilize resources for its prevention and control, and to demonstrate the region’s commitment to tackling the disease.
Many countries in Asia and the Pacific where dengue is endemic (Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam) face an increasing burden from the disease. These countries are just entering the dengue season; this means the peak is still coming.
ASEAN cannot be complacent in its efforts against dengue. This illness represents a significant economic burden on our region and hinders our development goals. The importance in addressing dengue at the regional level involving various stakeholders in a proactive and collective response cannot be overemphasized.
Dengue is one of the fastest growing emerging infectious diseases in the world, and the Asia-Pacific region bears 75 percent of the global burden, according to the World Health Organizations. It currently estimates there are 50 to 100 million dengue infections worldwide every year. In the Western Pacific Region, 31 out of 37 countries and areas have reported dengue cases in the past two decades.
The increase in cases and geographical expansion of affected countries can be attributed to a number of factors. These include higher temperatures and the onset of early rainfall in many parts of the region this year, growing population densities, and greater international and local travel. There is no specific treatment for dengue and innovative approaches are needed in preventing the disease at the community level.
While improved surveillance and reporting have likely also contributed to the increase in reported cases, it nevertheless underscores the large burden that this emerging infectious disease poses for the region.
Dengue has a significant impact on health, the economy and the entire society, making it our shared responsibility. Individuals, communities, private sector and government agencies need to work together to fight dengue.
