Denggi ialah jangkitan bawaan vektor yang paling pesat berkembang di dunia. Menurut Pertubuhan Kesihatan Sedunia (WHO) dalam tempoh 50 tahun lalu, kadar insidennya meningkat 30 kali.

Anggaran terkini menunjukkan 390 juta jangkitan denggi setiap tahun di seluruh dunia dengan rantau ASEAN menyumbang lebih daripada 70 peratus daripada penduduk global ini dengan risiko penyakit itu.

Di Malaysia, wabak denggi merebak ke lebih banyak kawasan dan memberi kesan terhadap lebih banyak nyawa. Bilangan kematian akibat denggi dua kali ganda dalam suku pertama 2015 berbanding tempoh yang sama pada 2014, dengan jumlah pada tahun ini cenderung menaik.

Ini terbukti apabila statistik Kementerian Kesihatan menunjukkan dari Januari hingga 26 Mac 2016, jumlah kes demam denggi menunjukkan peningkatan sebanyak 7.7 peratus apabila 35,060 kes dilaporkan bagi tahun ini berbanding 32,535 kes bagi tempoh yang sama tahun lalu.

Justeru, Kesihatan Pengguna GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) baru-baru ini menjalin kerjasama dengan organisasi lain di Malaysia termasuk Kementerian Kesihatan, Persatuan Perubatan Malaysia, Persatuan Farmasi Malaysia dan Guardian Health & Beauty dalam usaha baru untuk menyokong negara memerangi denggi.

Bersama Melawan Denggi (BMD) diwujudkan sebagai sebuah organisasi bukan keuntungan bertujuan memperkasa penyedia penjagaan kesihatan, organisasi dan komuniti bagi menangani isu denggi secara holistik daripada pencegahan kepada pengurusan.

Gabungan itu akan menyokong sasaran untuk mengurangkan beban denggi kepada masyarakat yang akan dicapai melalui pemerkasaan dan pembabitan 7,000 doktor perubatan am dan ahli farmasi yang akan terbabit dalam mendidik orang ramai. Ini sejajar dengan strategi global WHO untuk pencegahan dan kawalan serta inisiatif kerajaan.

Pengurus Besar Kesihatan Pengguna GSK Malaysia dan Brunei Stacy Wallace berkata, GSK terdorong memperjuangkan usaha itu kerana mengambil berat mengenai bahaya dan kesan denggi di negara ini yang semakin meningkat terutama dalam kalangan pekerja dan keluarga mereka.

Pelancaran BMD dirasmikan oleh Menteri Kesihatan Datuk Seri Dr S Subramaniam bersama rakan perikatan yang mengambil bahagian dalam majlis menandatangani perjanjian pengesahan komitmen mereka dalam kempen itu di ibu negara, baru-baru ini.

Subramaniam berkata, BMD akan membantu menyumbang kepada usaha kerajaan dalam mendidik, mengurus dan memerangi denggi di Malaysia. Kementerian melakukan banyak usaha dalam pencegahan dan kawalan penyakit bawaan vektor. Kini dengan gabungan penyedia penjagaan kesihatan, organisasi swasta serta kepakaran dan sumber kolektif masyarakat akan membolehkan mencapai kesan yang lebih besar dalam perang melawan denggi.

Memberi tumpuan kepada pemerkasaan, kempen kesihatan awam itu akan menggabungkan langkah pencegahan dan kawalan dengan kesedaran pengurusan demam denggi. Strategi gabungan akan merangkumi:

Memperkasakan komuniti dan paling penting penyedia penjagaan kesihatan yang boleh mengesan demam denggi pada peringkat permulaan dan menyediakan rawatan denggi yang sesuai dengan cepat.

Integrasi aktiviti pencegahan dan kawalan didorong oleh Kementerian Kesihatan, ahli akademik dan organisasi pendidikan mengenai pengurusan demam denggi diperjuangkan melalui pengamal penjagaan kesihatan, peruncit dan GSK.

Kempen pendidikan yang mantap melalui pelbagai saluran termasuk digital, arus perdana dan media sosial dan pengaktifan lapangan.

BMD menetapkan sasaran tinggi tahun ini membabitkan 8,000 penyedia penjagaan kesihatan, merekrut 3,000 Pejuang Denggi dalam masyarakat dan mendidik 1 juta rakyat Malaysia.

Untuk mencapai kejayaan ini, BMD akan melancarkan beberapa inisiatif termasuk program latih-jurulatih, pusat maklumat tersusun melalui rangkaian rakan gabungan, pameran pendidikan komuniti bergerak, pergerakan Pejuang Denggi melalui Facebook dan aktiviti lapangan, pekerja sukarelawan yang akan menjadi sebahagian daripada usaha mendekati masyarakat di kawasan panas denggi.

The following are some questions and answers about the virus and current outbreak:

How do people become infected?

Zika is transmitted to people through the bite of infected female mosquitoes, primarily the Aedes aegypti mosquito, the same type that spreads dengue, chikungunya and yellow fever. The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) said Aedes mosquitoes are found in all countries in the Americas except Canada and continental Chile, and the virus will likely reach all countries and territories of the region where Aedes mosquitoes are found.

How do you treat Zika?

There is no treatment or vaccine for Zika infection. Companies and scientists are racing to develop a safe and effective vaccine for Zika, but the World Health Organization (WHO) had said early in 2016 that it would take at least 18 months to start large-scale clinical trials of potential preventative shots.

A vaccine is not expected to be ready for widespread use for at least two or three years. U.S. government researchers said they started their first clinical trial of a Zika vaccine.

How dangerous is it?

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention concluded that infection with the Zika virus in pregnant women is a cause of the birth defect microcephaly and other severe brain abnormalities in babies. The CDC said now that the causal relationship has been established, several important questions must still be answered with studies that could take years.

According to the World Health Organization, there is strong scientific consensus that Zika can cause the birth defect microcephaly in babies, a condition defined by unusually small heads that can result in developmental problems. In addition, the agency said it could cause Guillain-Barre syndrome, a rare neurological disorder that can result in paralysis. Conclusive proof of the damage caused by Zika may take months or years.

Brazil reports the number of confirmed cases of microcephaly at 1,835 as doctors and Brazilian health officials find that some suspected cases of microcephaly are not the disorder. Suspected ones under investigation had declined to 3,257.

Brazil registered 91,387 likely cases of the Zika virus from February until April 2.

Current research in Brazil indicates the greatest microcephaly risk is associated with infection during the first trimester of pregnancy, but health officials have warned an impact could be seen in later weeks. Recent studies have shown evidence of Zika in amniotic fluid, placenta and fetal brain tissue.

What are the symptoms of Zika infection?

People infected with Zika may have a mild fever, skin rash, conjunctivitis, muscle and joint pain and fatigue that can last for two to seven days. But as many as 80 percent of people infected never develop symptoms. The symptoms are similar to those of dengue or chikungunya, which are transmitted by the same type of mosquito.

How can Zika be contained?

Efforts to control the spread of the virus focus on eliminating mosquito breeding sites and taking precautions against mosquito bites such as using insect repellent and mosquito nets. U.S. and international health officials have advised pregnant women to avoid travel to Latin American and Caribbean countries where they may be exposed to Zika.

How widespread is the outbreak?

Active Zika outbreaks have been reported in at least 58 countries or territories, most of them in the Americas, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Brazil has been the country most affected. (http://1.usa.gov/1ovAJyh)

Africa (1): Cape Verde

Americas (48): Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Aruba, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bolivia, Bonaire, Brazil, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Curaçao, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, French Guiana, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Martinique, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Saba, Puerto Rico, Saint Barthelmy, Saint Lucia, Saint Martin, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Saint Eustatius, St. Maarten, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Cacos, United States, U.S. Virgin Islands and Venezuela.

Datuk Seri Dr S.Subramaniam has just released a press statement based on the update by Singapore Ministry of Health regarding 41 confirmed cases of Zika Virus in patients from Singapore. Since an estimated 200000 travel daily to & fro Singapore daily from Malaysia, DSDSS has advised Malaysians especially citizens of Johor to beware of transmission of virus from human to human contact. Zika Virus is transmitted by the notorious Aedes Aegypti mosquito which is very well known in Malaysia for causing the serious & fatal Dengue Fever (DF) & Dengue Hemorrhagic fever (DHF). Besides Dengue & Zika, Aedes mosquito can also cause Chikungunya fever another disease found in Malaysia. Beware of Zika Virus as it is a very well known Virus worldwide. Its becoming a pandemic with cases from Brazil which just recently hosted The Rio Olympic Games, USA & the Middle East (Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Israel, UAE, Qatar). Beware as 80% of cases present asymptomatic (no symptoms at all). only 20% present with symptoms similar to Dengue which are high grade fever, joint pain, muscle pain, fine erythematous rashes on body retroorbital eye pain or red eye  (conjuctivitis). Please admit yourself to a nearby governed clinic or hospital to get a blood test done immediately if you present with any of these symptoms. The differentiating factor between Dengue & Zika is Dengue is zoonotic (mosquito to human only) but Zika is zoonotic plus Human to Human transmission. Zika can spread through unprotected sexual intercourse. Please reduce sexual activity during this period or use contraceptive methods such as Condom, Diaphragm & IUCD. Besides that Zika can cause serious complications in pregnancy if a pregnant woman in her 1st 2nd or 3rd trimester is carrying her baby (vertical transmission). Complications known are microcephaly (baby born with small head) & progressive ascending muscular paralysis presenting similar to Guillain Barre Syndrome & other neurodevelopmental disorder in the fetus. People are adviced not to travel to Singapore unnecessarily unless its for work/urgent matters. Even though Zika is increasing in incidence, DSDSS advice to be more cautious of the prevalent Dengue Fever which is more serious and can kill patients. Zika is less fatal but causes a lot of complications which increases morbidity in this country. Other advice given, Cut of any travelling plans to Singapore, USA, middle east & Brazil. Similar to dengue prevention activities; prevent stagnant water accumulating in an enclosed spaces. State Health Department of Johor will carry out fogging activities. State Health Department of Johor will fine those whose housing compunds are found to rear mosquito breeding sites.  Stay at home especially those in Johor Baru during early morning and late evenings (period of high activities of Aedes mosquito). Wear long sleeve clothing covering ankles and wrists. Eliminate mosquito breeding sites. Apply Mosquito netting at night & prevent entry of mosquito into homes. Biological elimination includes use of larvicides (abate or pyriproxyfen) and guppy fish (known to kill Aedes mosquito). Beware of Zika it's a world wide health pandemic. Please pass this message around to your loved ones.