<p>New partners in an anti-dengue coalition aim to help more communities feel prepared to combat the epidemic.</p>

- Rachel Soon

With September came the announcement that Allied Against Dengue (AAD), a dengue awareness initiative by GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) Consumer Healthcare, had completed a survey throughout six countries in the ASEAN region regarding community knowledge and concerns towards dengue.

According to Heather Pelier, SEA Area Marketing Director for Pain Relief and Respiratory, GSK Consumer Healthcare, the results of the survey were startling: despite 77% of Malaysians having had or known someone who had dengue fever at some point in their life, more than half of Malaysians were unable to accurately recognize symptoms, and only a third felt confident in managing the disease.

“The majority of Malaysians surveyed report taking proactive measures to help prevent dengue, but when the fever strikes, we feel uncertain about how to recognise the symptoms, the steps to take to manage the disease, and most importantly, how to find out this crucial information,” said Pelier. “This uncertainty illustrates that the need for education has become greater than ever, to ensure that Malaysians are equipped with both the confidence and knowledge to tackle dengue.”

While the survey revealed that dengue was the most concerning common infectious disease among Malaysians – placing above HIV, Zika, influenza and pneumonia – Pelier noted that only 33% of those surveyed were aware that there is no cure for the disease, only treatment through management of its symptoms.

In conjunction with the release of the survey results, it was announced that AAD

Diese Geschichte stammt aus der October 2017-Ausgabe von Health Today Malaysia.

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