GOMBAK: The Health Ministry today launched the Madani Afiat programme, a platform to disseminate basic disease prevention information and health promotion programmes to the people.
Health Minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa said the programme was aimed at allowing the top leadership of the ministry to go out and meet the people.
The programme, which is Dr Zaliha's initiative as the health minister, involves "Touch Point" activities in the form of house-to-house visits, which also provide opportunities for direct involvement of the ministry's top leadership and medical teams with community leaders and residents.
"At the same time, the static programme allows related agencies to be with the Health Ministry in holding exhibitions to convey information about the activities of their respective agencies.
"This is a mega effort to widely disseminate basic prevention information as well as spread publicity about health programmes and community initiatives carried out by the ministry to the target groups," she said in her speech during the launch of Madani Afiat as well as the national-level Gotong-Royong Mega Perangi Aedes 1.0 and One Hour Malaysia Clean Up 2023 programme at Dewan Rakyat Batu Caves.
Present was Caretaker Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari.
In her speech, Dr Zaliha also announced the One Hour Malaysia Clean Up initiative, to engage the public in clean-up activities to rid their areas of Aedes mosquitoes.
She said the initiative, which is to be carried out on the fourth Saturday of each month, is also aimed at reducing cases and deaths due to dengue in the country.
As such, Dr Zaliha said all Malaysians, be it from the government agencies, the private sector, communities and non-governmental organisations were urged to take part in the activity to curb the rising number of dengue cases.
Dr Zaliha added dengue cases from January to July 2 this year have risen by 139 per cent with 59,057 cases reported compared with 24,743 cases for the same period last year.
"The period saw 40 deaths due to dengue fever complications compared with 18 deaths reported last year, an increase of 122 per cent."
As for Selangor, Dr Zaliha said the state recorded 29,382 cases from January to July 2, compared to 15,207 cases over the same period last year, while seven deaths due to dengue were reported in the state this year.