Tackle zika virus threat collectively - deputy minister

The Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development wants the zika virus threat to be handled collectively especially at the level of the community.

Its Deputy Minister, Datuk Azizah Mohd Dun said the community could not pass on the responsibility of tackling the zika virus purely to the government because health care and maintenance of the environment must be made the responsibility of every member of the community.

"Whatever disease that occurs in the country requires the involvement of the community and not that of the government and local authorities only because it is our responsibility to ensure that mosquitoes do not breed in the compound of our house," she said.

She said this after officiating the dinner gathering with the non-governmental organisation, United Sabah Islamic Association (USIA), here last night.

She said public awareness on the matter was crucial to ensure that the area where the community lived was free of mosquito breeding grounds by implementing various cleanliness programs such as 'gotong royong' to clean the surrounding areas.