IN Malaysia, dengue is a perpetual risk. In 2023, there were 123,133 cases reported, marking an 86.3 per cent rise compared with the previous year according to data from the Ministry of Health.
Dengue-related deaths also increased by 78.6 per cent, with the highest concentration of cases in Selangor.
In the first quarter of 2024, there were already 41,565 reported cases and 28 deaths attributed to dengue fever complications, showing a rise compared with the same period in 2023.
Mosquitoes are a formidable adversary and they have no boundaries, says Takeda Pharmaceuticals (Asia Pacific) Pte Ltd country general manager for Malaysia and Singapore, Dr Lynette Moey.
Dengue impacts millions of people around the world annually, she adds and climate change has played a role.
Warmer temperatures and increased rainfall are both ideal conditions for mosquitoes to thrive and breed.
Dr Moey says with dengue, we cannot predict who will get a severe form of the disease and who won't. Given the unpredictability of this infection, protection is vital, she stresses.
Dengue fever has been a major societal issue not only here in Malaysia but also throughout Southeast Asia for many years, says Kao Malaysia president Nishimaki Akira.
"Additionally, global warming and increasing urbanisation have also widened mosquitoes' habitats and increased occurrences of dengue fever year on year," he says.
The World Health Organisation estimates that between 100–400 million dengue infections occur each year.
REPEL AND PROTECT
Kao Malaysia recently launched its Bioré Guard Mos Block Serum which works to prevent mosquitoes from landing on the skin to feed.
As part of its "Guard Our Future" project, Kao Malaysia will also collaborate with the Selangor State Government and Takeda Malaysia in a series of activities aimed at protecting the lives of Malaysians against mosquitoes and mosquito-borne diseases like dengue fever.
To kick off Guard Our Future in Malaysia, the company has pledged to match a donation of Bioré Guard Mos Block Serum with the number of active dengue fever cases in Selangor in 2023. This will add up to over 61,080 units of the product.
The donated units will be distributed till June 2025 at all activities in conjunction with Guard Our Future, including programme and campaigns related to dengue that will be implemented by the Selangor State
Government together with related agencies and departments.
This implementation will be carried out in stages starting in July. The Selangor State Government through the Selangor State Public Health Committee will implement the Dengue Prevention Programme in Selangor with Kao Malaysia by providing education and exposure to the public about the dangers of dengue fever. This will include preventive measures that need to be carried out following the increase in dengue fever cases in Selangor.
Bioré Guard Mos Block Serum is based on a repellent technology that makes the skin surface repulsive to mosquitoes. Focusing on the actions of mosquitoes when they land on the skin, Kao has developed a non-greasy repellent with a light texture similar to body lotion that can expand widely and provide coverage on skin, akin to a "skin shield" to protect one from mosquitoes.
The technology behind the product differs from conventional insect repellents which typically use volatile active ingredients that consumers may be sensitive to such as diethyltoluamide (DEET) or picaridin.
The repellant offers up to eight hours of protection from mosquitoes.
