KUALA LUMPUR — Malaysia has recorded a 20.7% increase in dengue cases nationwide, totalling 33,367 cases as of Epidemiological Week 23 (June 13), compared with 27,640 cases during the same period last year.
Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said the situation in Sabah is more worrying, with cases surging by 50.4% to 2,866, up from 1,905 in the corresponding period last year, Bernama reported.
He said several districts have been identified as key contributors to the state’s caseload, namely Kota Kinabalu, Kota Marudu, Tawau, Sandakan, Penampang and Putatan.
“We know that this surge falls within the expected cyclical trend of infections that occurs every four to five years, but we must remain vigilant in dealing with the situation,” he told reporters in Manggatal, Sabah today.
Earlier, he officiated the national-level ASEAN Dengue Day, World Malaria Day and a Mega Gotong-Royong programme held in conjunction with the 2026 National Healthy Malaysia Agenda (ANMS) Roadshow at the Manggatal Community Hall.
Dzulkefly said apart from cyclical patterns, the ministry has also detected a shift in circulating dengue virus sub-variants, with DEN-3 now becoming dominant, which is contributing to the rise in infections.
To address the growing challenge, the Health Ministry has introduced a new strategic approach based on Behavioural Insights (BI) under the Dengue-Free Community (Kombat) programme.
“We are introducing several new initiatives, particularly through the application of the BI approach, which draws on behavioural economics and examines human behaviour, including how people can be influenced or nudged towards positive change.
“The nudging strategy is aimed at encouraging behavioural change. People may be aware of what needs to be done, but that alone does not necessarily lead to action. Awareness and literacy are not enough. We need to create conditions that enable people to change, with support from both the federal and state governments,” he said.
He added that Kombat focuses on three main pillars: environmental interventions, community empowerment and a whole-of-society approach, including strengthened entomological surveillance. — June 14, 2026