The statistics and increasing number of hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) across the country including Sarawak calls for greater vigilance and more cooperation between the Ministry of Health and different relevant agencies including members of public, parents and teachers.
Based on the answers given by the Minister of Health in parliament, 39,408 HFMD cases were recorded between Jan 1 and July 29 this year, with Selangor having the highest number of cases at 11,669 followed by Kuala Lumpur (4,552) and closely followed by Sarawak (4,551).
With the recent news of the death of a 17 month old baby confirmed from HFMD in Penang and also the death of a two year toddler from Mukah suspected to have been afflicted with the disease as had showed signs of rashes on palms and feet as well as ulcers in the mouth the next day, it is important that urgency be shown to the matter and greater awareness to the public especially in taking precautionary measures so as the HFMD situation will not escalate and claim more lives.
This disease has been endemic and occurs whole year long in Malaysia. This disease is closely connected to personal and environmental hygiene especially among children below 7 years old especially in locations like, nurseries, play schools, kindergartens, and even public playgrounds.
Due to the increase of cases of HFMD in Malaysia and even Sarawak, I welcome the initiatives by the Ministry of Health to control the spread of this disease especially in their campaigns to raise awareness especially among members of the public, owners and teachers of nurseries, play school, and kindergartens on effective ways of prevention.
This campaign will be done intensively in the next 3 weeks covering 5 main issues including personal hygiene, correct ‘hand-washing’ practices, hygiene of surrounding environment, gatekeeping screening in all nurseries, pre-schools and kindergartens and also disinfection of the different contaminated surfaces.
On long term preventive plans, there will be more training given to these owners and handlers in all those educational premises on a yearly basis and such training to better equip and instil preventive knowledge in those responsible in handling children in different premises.
On top of the teachers, it is also important for parents and members of the public to play their role in maintaining good personal hygiene right from home and also monitoring their children for HFMD symptoms, and if there is to seek the required medical attention as well keep the child at home and away from public places and practice good personal hygiene and constant monitoring of the symptoms.
I also would like to encourage others including the private sector as part of their CSR to play help with the outbreak including donating sanitisers to schools as parts of efforts to curb the spread of the disease. We all play a part in helping to curb this issue for the safety of our children so that such unwanted incidents where preventable disease such as this claims another life.
HFMD is a disease caused by viruses Coxsackie A16 and Enterovirus 71, which are transmitted through direct contact with the nasal fluid, saliva, blisters and stool of the affected individual.
Among the symptoms of the disease are fever, rash or blisters on the palms and feet as well as ulcers in the mouth and on the tongue.