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Ministry urges public to remain calm as dengue cases, deaths soar
The Health Ministry has recorded at least 43,200 dengue cases and 404 deaths nationwide as of March 23, almost triple the same period last year. Experts are blaming El Niño as an important figure that leads to the dengue cases and deaths soaring this year.
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An official sprays insecticide at SDN Pasar Minggu 03 state elementary school in South Jakarta on April 4, 2024. (Antara/Erlangga Bregas Prakoso)
T
he Health Ministry has urged the public to stay alert yet calm amid a spike in dengue cases and deaths across the country, with the rise expected to continue in the coming weeks.
As of March 23, health authorities recorded some 43,200 dengue cases and 404 deaths nationwide since the beginning of the year. The figure is almost triple that of the same period last year, when the country saw around 17,400 cases and 144 deaths.
Regions reporting the highest cases are the Tangerang and Lebak regencies in Banten, the West Bandung and Subang regencies in West Java and Kendari in Southeast Sulawesi.
But the worst is yet to come, as the wave of dengue infections has not peaked and will likely continue to increase in the coming weeks, according to the Health Ministry’s disease control and prevention director Maxi Rein Rondonuwu.
“It seems like we’ll continue to see a rise in dengue cases until the transition from the rainy to dry season is over,” he said in a statement on Tuesday.
The Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) previously forecast that the seasonal transition period would take place between March and April.
Read also: Warmer rainy season triggers dengue spike across Indonesia
