Singapore – Among the estimated 3.9 billion people at risk of dengue globally, more than 75% reside in Asia. This is equivalent to 1.8 billion people, making this region the epicenter of dengue activity.

Amid this public health burden, Asian Dengue Vaccination Advocacy (ADVA), a scientific working group is staging the 3^rd Asia Dengue Summit from 5-6 July 2018 in partnership with Malaysia’s Ministry of Health, Global Dengue and Aedes-Transmitted Diseases Consortium (GDAC), Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Tropical Medicine and Public Health Network (SEAMEO TROPMED) and Fondation Merieux.

The two-day summit will see the gathering of leading infectious disease experts around the world including public health leaders, government officials and policymakers address issues surrounding dengue disease management, share and exchange updates and achievements on dengue management, and propose strategies to enhance dengue control for the region.

Dr Maria Rosario Capeding, Chairperson of ADVA’s Steering Committee, and Head of the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine’s Microbiology Department said, “Following the success of past years’ Asia Dengue Summit, it is critical that we continue the rallying call to government bodies and health authorities of countries in the region to adopt a holistic and integrated regional approach”.

“The summit will bring together key stakeholders and global experts from the region, to share experiences, innovative breakthroughs in vector control, research findings, and prevention strategies. Through these discussions, we can build on existing efforts to formulate a road map for countries in Asia to implement collaborative and cost-effective strategies for dengue prevention and vector control measures,” said Dr Capeding.

Dengue, a silent growing problem

Ranked by the World Health Organization as the most critical mosquito-borne viral disease in the world, and the most rapidly spreading, dengue continues to be one of the most pressing healthcare crises of our time. Incidences of dengue have grown dramatically around the world in recent decades, with actual numbers of dengue cases being underreported and many cases misclassified.

An estimated 390 million dengue infections occur around the world each year. Of these, 500,000 cases develop into dengue haemorrhagic fever –  the most severe form of dengue, and about 25,000 of those infected die annually worldwide.

Dengue vigilance must remain high at all times

Malaysia witnessed two of the worst dengue outbreaks in 2015 and 2016. 2015 reported more than 120,000 dengue cases and 320 deaths, while 2016 had 83,849 reported dengue cases with 177 deaths. Despite the decline in cases, dengue remains the number one infectious disease in Malaysia.

The Summit will shed light on the burden of dengue, its management, new vector control strategies and successful vaccine introduction across the region.