The“2011 First Dengue Fever Coordination Meeting” concludes that the primary strategies employed in 2011 to contain dengue epidemics should include efforts to reduce the number of containers and eliminate vector breeding sites. Before the arrival of this dengue season (March-June), the central government agencies and local governments have planned to step up efforts aimed at reducing the number of containers in the community through encouraging the public to actively participate in control activities and educating the public the importance of eliminating vector breeding sources, hence decreasing dengue transmission.
In order to promptly and effectively control dengue fever, the Department of Health (DOH) and the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) held the “2011 First Dengue Fever Coordination Meeting” in Kaohsiung city on April 8, 2011 and invited the related central government agencies and three local governments in southern Taiwan to discuss this year’s action plans against dengue fever. The Minister of the Department of Health Wen-Ta Chiu and the Minister of the Environmental Protection Agency Shu-Hung Shen presided at the meeting.
At the meeting, a wide consensus was reached on several issues among the participating agencies. When a dengue epidemic occurs, measures aimed at achieving complete elimination of breeding sources and reducing the number of containers will be implemented immediately to set up a firewall against dengue fever transmission. To prevent the mosquitoes' resistance to insecticides and to assure the efficiency of insecticide use, it is suggested that spraying insecticide is limited in principle. Further, spraying of insecticides should be based on professional evaluation and local epidemic situations.
With regard to assistance in the implementation of related control measures against dengue fever, DOH and EPA have been providing funds and human resources to local governments to prepare for dengue outbreaks before this dengue season. Based on continuing assessment of the epidemic situation and local needs, DOH and EPA will continue to provide the necessary resource and support to the local governments.
As of April 8, 2011, 15 indigenous cases of dengue fever have been confirmed and reported from the continuing outbreak of the last epidemic season (2010). In the same time, there were 22 imported cases, including 7 cases from Vietnam, 4 cases from Indonesia, 4 cases from Philippines, 2 cases from Malaysia, 2 cases from Thailand, 2 cases from Myanmar, and 1 case from Singapore.