Shania Shayal Prasad 
[Source: Supplied]
Health officers are stepping up their fight against dengue fever as the number of confirmed cases continues to climb.
More than 1,000 people were infected between January and the end of March.
The Health Ministry declared an outbreak in the Central Division after 1,090 cases were recorded between January and March.
Most of the cases are concentrated in urban areas, prompting urgent action.
Targeted spraying, clean-up campaigns and community visits are being rolled out in high-risk zones.
Suva City Council’s Special Administrator Tevita Boseiwaqa states that health inspectors have been moving door-to-door for the past two weeks to identify and eliminate mosquito breeding grounds.
He explains that teams are also focused on hotspot areas where vector control operations are underway.
“Advising them on the ways to prevent this coming on board. And I think next week, we are spraying, you know, to control dengue, but we are already spraying to control mosquitoes.”
In schools, the Education Ministry is urging teachers and parents to stay alert.
Minister Aseri Radrodro is calling for full cooperation with health teams to identify dengue symptoms early among students and stop the spread.
“And also for the school children and parents, if they see that their child has been infected with Dengue, they need to keep them at home rather than sending them to school, to allow for a safe learning environment in the school system.”
The public is being reminded to clear stagnant water, keep containers covered and dispose of waste properly to remove mosquito breeding sites.
Stream the best of Fiji on VITI+. Anytime. Anywhere.
