Total dengue cases since January up 139% from 2022, says health minister

The cumulative number of dengue fever cases from January to July this year has increased by 139% with 59,057 cases compared to 24,743 recorded during the same period last year.

Health Minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa said that in the same period, the death rate due to dengue fever was also reported to have increased by 122% involving 40 deaths compared with only eight recorded last year.

"For Selangor, a total of 29,382 cases were reported from January to July 2 this year, compared to 15,207 cases recorded in the same period last year, an increase of 93%, while a total of seven deaths due to dengue fever complications have been reported in the state so far," she said after officiating a gotong royong event to curb the breeding of Aedes mosquitoes in Gombak yesterday. 

She added that the health ministry had introduced the One Hour Malaysia Clean Up initiative to ensure that the community remains consistent in destroying mosquito breeding grounds.