Dengue Rate Increases, East Kalimantan Health Office Urges The Public To Take Action

Illustration of Dengue Fever (Doc. VOI)

SAMARINDA - Positive Cases of Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever (DHF) in East Kalimantan have increased. The East Kalimantan Health Office (Dinkes) said that currently there were 2,320 dengue cases with seven people reported dead.

"The increase in dengue cases in East Kalimantan is thought to be due to the high rainfall that has occurred in the last few months," said Head of the East Kalimantan Health Office Jaya Mualimin in Samarinda, as reported by Antara, Sunday, March 23.

He explained that this figure increased by 769 cases compared to February 2024.

Jaya explained that the highest number of dengue cases occurred in Kutai Kartanegara Regency with 852 cases, followed by Balikpapan with 356 cases, and West Kutai with 216 cases. While the smallest cases came from Mahakam Ulu with only 14 cases.

The death rate due to dengue fever in East Kalimantan is currently 0.17 percent, with an incidence rate of 65.1.

"Although the positive cases of dengue fever are higher than last year, the death rate is still under control. This means that the public is more responsive and immediately takes DHF patients to the puskesmas or hospital," Jaya said.

Jaya is optimistic that the DHF cases in East Kalimantan can be controlled with various efforts, such as the DHF vaccination, which in 2024, the East Kalimantan Health Office will bring in 5,000 dengue vaccines to increase public immunity to the dengue virus.

In addition, the East Kalimantan Health Office has also intensified the spread of Wolbachia mosquitoes in Bontang as a pilot area to suppress the population of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, the main vector of dengue fever.

"The target is that at least 60 percent of the population of mosquitoes in Bontang will be infected with Wolbachia within the next six months. This effort is expected to reduce morbidity and mortality due to dengue fever," said Jaya Mualimin.

The East Kalimantan Health Office also continues to urge the public to increase their awareness of dengue by implementing 3M Plus and maintaining environmental cleanliness.

He said, 3M Plus is a dengue prevention program that includes regularly draining the bath/water reservoir, closing water reservoirs, burying used goods that can hold water, and taking additional steps such as using abate, and other clean pattern efforts.

"We hope that with joint efforts, the dengue cases in East Kalimantan can be controlled," he said.