Jakarta's Dengue Fever Epidemic

Hospitals in Jakarta, Indonesia are full to the bream with dengue fever patients. The city government wants every persons help to eradicate the epidemic, to the point of taking drastic measures. Our Jakarta's bureau has the story.
Jakarta residents join in to clean up the citys National Museum. This is part of a weekly official program to eradicate mosquito breeding grounds in city parks.

Dengue fever cases caused by mosquito bites are growing alarmingly to the point where local hospitals in Jakarta are forced to reject patients.

According to official figures around ten thousand people have suffered from dengue fever in the last three months, and 16 have died from the disease so far.

[Ujang Supriatna, Dengue Fever Patient]: (male, Bahasa)
At first my body temperature fluctuated. I thought it was just a regular fever because I didnt see red dots on the skin that people say is a dengue fever symptom. But the lab work proves that I contracted the disease.

[Hotimah, Patients Wife]: (female, Bahasa)
I look after him day and night. Even my children are getting neglected.

In addition to cleaning up mosquito breeding grounds and providing health seminars, officials perform dengue fever fogging in affected areas.

[Suryani, Jakarta Resident]:
Well I would love to have my neighborhood dengue fogged because so far, three of my family members have caught the disease.

Jakarta officials want city residents to do more to combat the disease.

[Prijanto, Jakartas Vice Governor]:
We should invite our youth to care for their environment by taking part in fogging their communities.

And to make sure Jakartas citizens do get involved, anyone not complying with the dengue fever prevention program can get up to one year in prison, and be fined one million rupiah.

NTD, Jakarta, Indonesia.

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News & Politics

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• ntd
• jakarta
• dengue fever epidemic
• indonesia
• health
• medicine
• virus
• mosquito