With an increase in dengue deaths and cases this year, a multipronged approach is needed to manage dengue outbreaks and eliminate deaths, say infectious diseases experts from National Centre for Infectious Diseases and National University Hospital.
File photo. NEA officers conducting fogging at a dengue cluster. SINGAPORE: Is a future with zero dengue deaths possible in Singapore? That is a question that’s likely been asked a thousand times over.
Ongoing public education and community outreach efforts include colour-coded dengue alert banners, and emphasis on the collective public efforts against mosquito breeding and dengue transmission.In 2020, Singapore reached new heights with 35,210 dengue cases and 32 deaths. The cases again surpassed the 30,000-mark in 2022, recording a total of 32,154 cases with 19 deaths. Although 2023 was considered a “good year”, there were still 9,949 cases and six deaths.
Ensuring early detection and access to proper medical care for dengue has significantly lowered fatality rates. However, there are no drugs available commercially at present specifically designed to treat dengue. Garnering pharmaceutical companies’ interest in developing such drugs to treat and prevent acute infections, which are not as lucrative as chronic diseases drugs, can be difficult.
Another vaccine that was recently launched in several countries is Qdenga. It has been approved in countries including Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam and conditional approval in Malaysia for use regardless of prior infection. In Singapore, the manufacturer has also withdrawn its application to register Qdenga here following a review by the Health Sciences Authority on initial submitted scientific data.
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