Source: www.thestar.com.my
You have been bombarded with many anti dengue advertisement. You nod your heads in acquaintance. You sympathise with the victims and say to yourself, “yes, we should do something about this. We can’t lose this battle to just a little bug!”
Yet, in the next minute, you forgot your pledge. It was all a short high.
If you live in a dengue hotspot, it is just bad luck – just as most Malaysians prefer to believe. I concur with that. But remember that it is not by chance and not uncontrollable.
Remember how some of our classmates were called “Bob” or “gedempol” for their plus size? Or “kaki galah” for their long legs. Or “kaki bangku” for being inept in soccer? Subconsciously, we may attach a label – that describes attitude – to a community that lives in a dengue outbreak zone.
Perhaps, you might want to rethink if you are planning to buy a house in a dengue prone area. Here are some of the likely characteristics of the community in a dengue outbreak zone.
IGNORANT: Peduli apa aku??!
These are the group of people who have the knowledge, but refuse to practice them. Most Malaysians are aware of the cause of dengue and how to eliminate them. Yet they remain lackadaisical when it comes to act.
DEPENDANT: Ini semua salah dia!
These group of people will constantly scream the killer quote of all, “Kerajaan harus bertindak untuk menyelesaikan wabak denggi”. They are the abled bodies, with strong limbs and thinking mind. Yet, they chose to burry themselves in their worm hole – getting burned under the scorching sun while waiting for the rain to come.
DIRTY: Oh, rumah kau tu yang ada kelapa berlonggok kat depan tu ek?
Dengue outbreaks in housing areas frequently have one thing in common – poor hygiene. On entering into one, plastic bottles are strewn everywhere, used tires left at the junction and putrid smells emitting from blocked drains. Obviously, humans in that area want to co-habitate with mosquitoes.
CHOOSE TO BE MISINFORMED: Ini semua konspirasi! Jangan percaya!!
Again, this group of people believe that they are immune to dengue. They believe that their “strong immune system” – as a result from “regular gym training” – will protect them from dengue when bitten by an infected mosquito.
Heck, there are people who believe that taking papaya leaves, guava juice and 100 plus prevent and treat dengue fever.
Some believe that getting used to mosquito bites will immunise them against Aedes mosquitoes. And for those whose corner house is just next to the jungle, they dismiss mosquito bites as being harmless as the mosquitoes are deemed pristine as they originate from the jungle. There are some old folks who believe that mosquito bites are not able to penetrate their thick skin.
Just, where do these people got their information from? When I last checked the Ministry of Health, WHO, CDC and tropical medicine journals, there were no resemblance to the prescribed beliefs.
POOR INSIGHT: Kawasan denggi? Macam bersih je..!
These group of people are in denial. In a country saturated with male virility, having a six pack, broad muscular shoulder as a result from frequent going to the gym and certain unusual ancestral practices make young men to think that the mosquitoes fear them too. You may be a gold winning athlete, but the ferocious mosquitoes does not take that into account when they are hungry.
As long as you are in the mosquitoes’ vicinity, you remain a mosquito’s target.
INDISCIPLINE: Buang je, nanti ada orang sampah mai pungut!
In Japan, the community that lives in a flat is responsible to keep the place clean. Every first Sunday of the month, the head of every door or household must participate in a gotong royong. Failure to come will result in a fine. Every household is assigned in a timetable to clean the big garbage as well.
Imagine this being done in Malaysia, with the oft honoured Malay proverb, “alah bisa tegal biasa”, dengue will be a thing of the past. Where is the so called “nilai murni” that we have been so proud about?
Have the community gotten so used to see overflowed rubbish bin only to see mosquitoes over infesting? Have the community been immune to waste that they regard deadwood and old tires as part of the decorative ornament on the street?
I am sure that you would not like to be associated with the mentioned adjectives. Fighting dengue is a tiring war. It exhausts everyone. We need a miracle. Miracle that comes from the people – people power. Another question, as this is a visit Malaysia year, do we need a dengue death of an American or a Japanese tourist to make it an international health issue?
Dr. Helmy Hazmi is a community medicine specialist with a major in Epidemiology and Biostatistics. He is currently working in his hometown, Kuching, as a medical lecturer. Find out more in The Team page.
[This article belongs to The Malaysian Medical Gazette. Any republication (online or offline) without written permission from The Malaysian Medical Gazette is prohibited.]
Reference:
- Wong, L. P., & AbuBakar, S. (2013). Health beliefs and practices related to dengue fever: a focus group study. PLoS Negl Trop Dis., 7(7).