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Background of Vector Borne Disease Control in Malaysia

The Vector Borne Diseases Control Programme (VBDCP) started off as three separated Malaria Eradication Programme (MEP) in Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak as follows:-

PENINSULAR MALAYSIA
The Malaria Eradication Programme (MEP) in Peninsular Malaysia was launched in 1967. A Malaria Pilot Project (1960 - 1964) demonstrated that there was a practical and feasible method of controlling the malaria situation in Peninsular Malaysia. A nation-wide malaria survey in 1965-1966 showed that there were about 300,000 malaria cases annually in Peninsular Malaysia.  At that time of launching in 1967, the original objective was to completely eradicate malaria from Peninsular Malaysia by 1982. This objective no longer attainable due to various administrative, technical and operational problems. The Malaria Eradication Programme was changed to a Malaria Control Program in 1980.

SARAWAK
The first malaria survey in Sarawak was carried out in 1952 by De Zulueta. With the assistance of WHO, this was followed by a Malaria Control Pilot Project which was carried out in 1953 - 1954 in the Baram Valley in Fourth Division of the state covering an area of about 5,100 square kilometers and a population of about 6,400 people. In 1961 it was decided to undertaken a Malaria Eradication Programme based on the same attack measures that were used in the Malaria Control Pilot Project.

Due to various problems being encountered by the Eradication Programme, such as the influx of malaria carriers from the neighbouring Provinces/States, the nomadic groups of the population in some areas, difficult terrain and communication, it was not possible to achieve the complete interruption of the malaria transmission. The Malaria Eradication Programme was then changed to Malaria Control Programme in 1972.

SABAH
A Malaria Pilot Project (1956 - 1960) demonstrated that there was a practical and feasible method of controlling malaria in Sabah. The Malaria Eradication Programme (MEP) was launched in 1961 and continued for ten years. The Malaria Eradication Programme was changed to Malaria Control Programme in 1971 due to administrative, technical and operational difficulties.

In 1980, the Ministry of Health made an important policy decision of converting the existing Malaria Eradication Programme (MEP) into Vector Borne Diseases Control Programme (VBDCP). Basic strategies and activities of the MEP are also applicable to the control of other diseases transmitted by the mosquito vectors.

Such diseases are:-

The development of the Vector Borne Diseases Control Programme (VBDCP) is being implemented in three phases:-

Phase I - Formation of the Anti Malaria Programme (1981 - 1982) Malaria control services both inside and outside the Local Authority areas were taken over and integrated with the Malaria Eradication Programme to form the Anti Malaria Programme.

Phase II - Formation of the Vector Borne Diseases Control Programme (VBDCP) 1983-1984 During this period, the programme activities and scope were expended to include other common mosquito-borne diseases in Malaysia, e.g Filariasis, Dengue/Dengue Haemorrhagic Fever and Japanese B.Encephalitis. This resulted in the formation of the Vector Borne Diseases Control Programme (VBDCP).

Phase III - Further Expansion of the Scope of the VBDCP (1985 Onwards) The VBDCP will take over control of other vector borne diseases such as Scrub Typhus which is transmitted by mites and Murine Typhus by fleas. Although there has not been a case of plague in this country for a long time, a check will be kept on the presence of the flea (Xenopsylla cheopis) whose natural habitat are rodents. There is no Yellow Fever at present although the Aedes mosquitoes are present in the country. In line with Article 20 of the International Health Regulation (IHR), all airport are to be kept free of Aedes mosquitoes.

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