JEDDAH, 15 March 2006 — The Cabinet’s response to growing cases of dengue fever in Jeddah was greeted with approval yesterday by both Saudi citizens and officials. The anti-dengue campaign was approved by the Council of Ministers on Monday to help eradicate the mosquito-borne disease from the city.
Health Minister Hamad Al-Manie said the Cabinet’s approval of the recommendations made by ministerial panel to confront the disease reflected the government’s concern toward the health of citizens and residents. “We will exert all efforts to exterminate the disease from Jeddah city,” he added.
The Cabinet meeting, chaired by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah, adopted a series of measures to contain the disease and allocated more than SR1.42 billion for the purpose. Dengue fever has so far claimed the lives of two people and affected more than 400 others this year.
The Cabinet, according to Culture and Information Minister Iyad Madani, called for quick implementation of projects to combat dengue fever in Jeddah. It also sought a “radical, effective and comprehensive solution” to this problem and other problems caused by the non-completion of sewage projects.
Al-Manie said the new projects approved by the Cabinet included plans to destroy mosquitoes and other insects in residential areas, health awareness campaigns and new laboratories. “We conduct tests for suspicious cases and provide treatment to those people who were tested positive,” he added.
He said the ministry also supports the efforts to locate breeding grounds of mosquitoes in order to destroy them by municipal authorities. “We have launched a public-awareness campaign through the media, schools and mosques. We also hold scientific meetings on the disease,” he explained.
Jeddah Mayor Adel Faqeeh thanked the king for approving the recommendations made by the ministerial panel on Saturday.
“The Cabinet decision augurs well ... our ongoing efforts to root out dengue fever will become a success,” he added.
Faqeeh said the new projects approved by the Cabinet would not only help eradicate dengue fever but also solve many of the city’s chronic problems. “We’ll give top priority to deal with dengue fever considering the danger it posed to both citizens and residents.”
Dengue fever is an infectious disease carried by mosquitoes and caused by any of four related dengue viruses. During the last part of the 20th century, cases of dengue increased in many tropical regions of the world. Epidemics also began occurring more frequently and with more severity.
People get dengue virus infections from the bite of an infected Aedes mosquito. Mosquitoes become infected when they bite infected humans, and later transmit infection to other people they bite. The two main species of mosquito, Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus, have been responsible for all dengue cases.
