Improving access to anaemia screening
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The Universiti Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC) in Malaysia is enhancing access to free anaemia screening and optional dengue vaccination for children aged 7 to 12 in the Klang Valley. Anaemia, often undetected, can cause fatigue, difficulty concentrating, and impaired learning in children. It also increases vulnerability to severe dengue illness.
In the Klang Valley, over 76,000 dengue cases were reported as of October 14, with children being twice as likely to develop severe dengue compared to adults. Between May and October, more than 3,600 children participated in the programme, with 60-70 percent choosing to receive the dengue vaccine. UMMC's public health medicine specialist, Professor Dr Rafdzah Ahmad Zaki, hopes to make screening and prevention discussions more accessible by conducting more sessions near families' homes and on weekends.
Families are advised to eliminate mosquito breeding sites, avoid bites, and seek medical attention if dengue is suspected.
Written by urgent.news from New Straits Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
