Eliminating Dengue Fever should be Easy Compared to Malaria – In a Malaysian Perspective

Introduction: In 1993, the International Task Force for Disease Eradication thought over and concluded that only six diseases are eradicable – but, malaria, dengue fever (and, dengue hemorrhagic fever) were not included.

In 2010, 99 countries reported 219 million cases of malaria and 660,000 deaths. In Malaysia in 2011, 5152 cases had been reported causing not more than 30 deaths.

Over 2.5 billion are at risk of dengue fever given the endemicity in excess of 100 countries, compared to nine countries in 1970. The WHO estimate 50-100 million cases annually globally, with approximately 500,000 dengue haemorrhagic fever, and an estimated 22,000 death each year. In Malaysia in 2017, there is found 83,849 reported cases of dengue fever with 177 deaths.

There is a compelling need to give thought here to an elimination/eradication programme on dengue fever in Malaysia, realizing there is presently a malaria-elimination programme already.

Aim: The Aim of this Review is to contemplate on the priority of possible public-health intervention of infectious-diseases, the International Task Force on Disease Eradication, and the three principle/indicators toward successful eradication/elimination programme, and the cost, beside describing the epidemiology and eradication/elimination of malaria in Malaysia, including the human and economic cost of malaria, in a comparison with dengue fever, including the dengue control & prevention programme and the potential in the innovative-methods, and why a dengue fever elimination programme is timely and imperative.

Methodology: This article is a Narrative Review, and the author focus the article around three articles published by the author in recent times on dengue fever, and two on malaria. Additionally, the author contemplate around relevant newer article by various author retrieved through PubMed and Google Search.

Results: Based on priority of possible public-health intervention of infectious-diseases by the International Task Force on Disease Eradication, and the principle/indicator(s) identified by the Task Force, and the Dahlem Conference, toward successful eradication/elimination programme, and the World Health Assembly on dengue fever, it is felt that a dengue fever elimination programme is timely and imperative, beside found very cost-beneficial.

Conclusion: Mankind can eliminate dengue fever, even if not actually eradicating the disease, in a very much feasible and cost-beneficial programme, beginning in every nation and every region of the world, prior to grouping to become a global-programme.