Over 58 pct fewer dengue cases this year than last

KUALA LUMPUR, July 12 — Dengue cases in the country dropped to 32,299 between January 1 and July 5, compared with 78,068 cases in the same period last year — a decrease of 58.6 per cent.

Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said that from January 1 to July 5 this year, 21 deaths due to dengue were recorded, with 65 deaths in the same period last year.

“This reduction is not a ticket for the public to be complacent, especially since globally, the rise in dengue cases is showing a deeply worrying trend,” he said in his speech at the national Aedes prevention clean-up in conjunction with Asean Dengue Day 2025 at the Seri Kota public housing in Bandar Tun Razak here today.

Also present at the event were Bandar Tun Razak MP Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail and Health Ministry secretary-general Datuk Seri Suriani Ahmad.

Dr Dzulkefly said World Health Organisation (WHO) data showed dengue cases surging from 505,430 cases in 2000 to 14.3 million cases in 2024, an increase of over 28 times.

He said WHO statistics also showed that the number of dengue-related deaths worldwide rose from 960 in 2000 to 9,508 in 2024, representing nearly a tenfold increase over the past 25 years.

To curb dengue in Malaysia, he said various efforts would continue under a whole-of-nation approach to ensure a high level of public awareness on environmental cleanliness and dengue prevention practices.

“This includes search-and-destroy activities to eliminate Aedes mosquito breeding grounds inside and outside the home by spending at least 10 minutes each week, and making the One-Hour Malaysia Clean Up initiative a monthly activity.

“Members of the public must also seek immediate medical attention at nearby health facilities if they experience fever or other dengue symptoms,” he added.

The community clean-up was held with Seri Kota residents, volunteers from the Communication for Behavioural Impact team, and staff from the Bandar Tun Razak MP’s office.

— Bernama