“This rate cannot be compared to other advanced countries where there are more weekly cases of dengue fever,” he said after inaugurating here Thursday a GPS electronic site established by the ministry, the Makkah municipality and the Ministry of Agriculture for the National Campaign to Combat Dengue Fever (NCCDF).

Al-Rabeeah said the efforts of the campaign produced rapid results in combating the disease. He said the collective professional work made according to international standards to combat dengue fever has helped reduced the number of cases in Makkah.

Al-Rabeeah said under the directives of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah more health facilities would be established in Makkah.

“The new health programs approved by the ministry included home health-care, outpatient surgery and the addition of more beds in hospitals,” he said.

Makkah Mayor Osama Al-Bar said more than 800 qualified Saudi youths were involved in the fight against dengue fever.

“Whenever we receive information about areas in which mosquitoes might be breeding, we move fast and do our job in 48 hours,” he said.

Al-Bar said at the start of the campaign, the combating teams confronted skepticism by foreigners who mistook them for immigration authorities and by citizens who did not welcome them at their homes.

The mayor revealed that the NCCDF will be privatized within the coming two months.