Use ‘gotong - royong’ in efforts to eradicate dengue, says Rosnah

KOTA KINABALU: The community cooperation (gotong-royong) carried out to ensure cleanliness is maintained among the community brings about major benefits, especially in the fight against dengue fever outbreak in the state.

Deputy Health Minister, Datuk Rosnah Abdul Rashid Shirlin, said that through community cooperation, she believes the continued efforts will bear positive results in line with the government’s ‘No Aedes, No Dengue’ effort.

“We call on all levels of leadership in the villages, districts and housing estates to maintain a culture of personal and environmental hygiene respectively all the time.

“This will give rise to confidence and belief that continued efforts in combating the spread of dengue fever will yield positive results to ensure that there will be no aedes and no dengue in our state in general,” she said.
She said this in her speech at the ‘Grand Gotong Royong’ programme at Kampung Kawang, Papar, near here.

According to her, based on her ministry’s statistics, the spread of dengue fever had gone up around December last year and it was a cause of concern to all parties.

Rosnah, who is also MP for Papar, said the Aedes mosquitoes, which thrive in the ditches, reservoirs, rubbish, bottles, discarded tyres and unattended water tanks, contribute to the spread of the disease in the community.

“This will not only attract attention as where the larvae continue to reproduce even in dirty environment can bring about spread of other diseases.

“We hope through community work which is our social responsibility will not only held at Kg. Kawang but also to the other villages in the Papar parliamentary constituency,” she said.

In the meantime, she said, the organization of such programs could help further strengthen mutual understanding and unity among the leaders of all levels of society.

“With the strong unity in all aspects of life among the people at the grassroots level, with the attitude of continued cooperation and tolerance, political stability and harmony will continue to be enhanced and thus assist in the implementation and success of the government’s development plans from time to time,” she added

Also present at the function were Assistant Minister of Local Government and Housing, Datuk Ghulam Haidar Khan Bahadar, who is also ADUN for Kawang and Papar District Officer, Iman Ali.

Source: http://newsabahtimes.com.my/nstweb/fullstory/55635

Green Sabah Says: Gotong Royong is a term that is rarely heard of nowadays, its a good communal effort to bring neighbors together to improve cleanliness of our surroundings and prevent the outbreak of dengue fever. It could be done in with your school mates, colleagues, neighbors, friends, anyone at all. Not only does joint effort makes the work complete sooner, but also strengthen the unity and improve relationships between each other.