BY ELEAZAR BARRICK PETER
KUCHING: The public has called on the government to actively create awareness on the prevention from a disease known as ‘Disease X’.
Recently, health experts have sounded the alarm about ‘Disease X’, which could potentially result in fatalities similar to the Spanish Flu, which resulted in up to 50 million deaths.
The public said the government has a critical role to play to make sure the country is always on alert on potential global outbreaks and can make necessary preparations.
In a bid to enhance public involvement in the decision-making process and fortify the nation’s defences against potential outbreaks, New Sarawak Tribune spoke to some people for their opinions and suggestions.
Amber Petsyla Petter, 23, student
The government has reminded us how to take care of ourselves during the COVID-19 pandemic. There’s only so much that the government can do if the citizens would not cooperate to take care of themselves. Besides, the government always reminds us to do the important things such as using masks if we’re sick and often wash our hands. These are very helpful to prevent diseases from spreading.
Martin Peter, 21, student
The Malaysian government can implement measures to curb the spread of dangerous epidemics through international cooperation. It would be better within a community of neighbouring countries to collectively share volunteer efforts, health experts, and medical resources to contain the transmission at its root, especially in critical areas like border crossings, sea, air and land routes. Certainly, if the outbreak’s source is controlled from the outset, the dangerous epidemic won’t succeed in spreading rapidly.
Siti Marina Kamil, 44, senior lecturer
In my opinion, preventing outbreaks totally requires both individual and collective efforts. Firstly, at a personal level, we should be aware of the diseases that exist around us and take preventive measures to protect ourselves. Secondly, the government should be actively spreading awareness on how to prevent one from infections and if infected what are the measures to be taken. In all, everyone’s cooperation is needed to prevent outbreaks.
Jackson Sigai, 30, customer support administrator
The government should increase public awareness through educational campaigns, implementing strict hygiene protocols, conducting regular health screenings, and ensuring efficient healthcare infrastructure. It’s important to prioritize the health and safety of the people. The government can also enhance surveillance systems to detect potential outbreaks early.
