Dengue cases in Malaysia have climbed 27% this year, with 33,367 infections recorded as of Epidemiological Week 23, up from 27,640 during the same period last year.
Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said Sabah is seeing an even sharper rise, with cases jumping 50.4% to 2,866 from 1,905 a year earlier. The highest numbers have been recorded in Kota Kinabalu, Kota Marudu, Tawau, Sandakan, Penampang and Putatan.
While the increase falls within the expected dengue outbreak cycle that occurs every four to five years, Dzulkefly said health authorities are closely monitoring the situation. The ministry has also detected a shift in the dominant dengue virus strain, with DEN-3 now the most prevalent.
To curb the spread, the Ministry of Health has launched the Dengue-Free Community (Kombat) programme, which uses behavioural insights to encourage preventive action. The strategy is based on the idea that awareness alone is often not enough to change behaviour.
The programme focuses on environmental interventions, community empowerment and broader public participation, supported by enhanced mosquito surveillance to help identify and control outbreak risks.
