Committee of Supply 2023 debate, Day 5: Baey Yam Keng on fighting dengue and joining forces on climate action
Dengue continues to pose a serious threat to Singapore, said Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Sustainability and the Environment Baey Yam Keng. Speaking in Parliament on Thursday (Mar 2), he said while dengue cases have decreased from the peak in the middle of last year, weekly cases remain high, with the potential of another surge. One key weapon in the fight against dengue is Project Wolbachia, where non-biting male Aedes aegypti mosquitoes which carry the Wolbachia bacteria are released at selected dengue high-risk areas to suppress the local mosquito population. Mr Baey said the results have been “encouraging”. The project now covers more than 300,000 households, making up about 30 per cent of all HDB blocks and nine per cent of landed homes. Mr Baey said the National Environment Agency (NEA) will continue to work with commercial partners to enhance automation and scale up mosquito production and release capacity to make it cost-effective to expand the project. But technology is “not a silver bullet”, said Mr Baey. Profuse breeding of the Aedes mosquito could reverse the success brought about by technology, he warned. He said NEA will continue to work with partner agencies and stakeholders to detect and remove potential mosquito-breeding habitats and will take firm enforcement action where necessary. He urged the community to continue to play an active part in preventing mosquito breeding and the spread of the dengue virus. Turning to efforts to lead the nation in the green transition, Mr Baey said the Government is committed to partnering the community to foster a more liveable and sustainable society. It will embark on the next phase of its efforts this year to galvanise community participation in the action plans and showcase the key programmes. Residents will be able to contribute their ideas and participate in the programmes, he said. Go Green SG will be collaborating with the Singapore Tourism Board to showcase to the world the various sustainable experiences that Singapore has to offer. Singaporeans can join international visitors in more lifestyle programming to learn more about sustainability through fun and meaningful experiences. Under SG Eco Fund, which supports ground-up solutions, S$2.4 million will be awarded to 77 projects. Mr Baey urged Singaporeans to “join forces” on climate action and "act together now" to make the country greener and more sustainable.
Dengue continues to pose a serious threat to Singapore, said Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Sustainability and the Environment Baey Yam Keng. Speaking in Parliament on Thursday (Mar 2), he said while dengue cases have decreased from the peak in the middle of last year, weekly cases remain high, with the potential of another surge. One key weapon in the fight against dengue is Project Wolbachia, where non-biting male Aedes aegypti mosquitoes which carry the Wolbachia bacteria are released at selected dengue high-risk areas to suppress the local mosquito population. Mr Baey said the results have been “encouraging”. The project now covers more than 300,000 households, making up about 30 per cent of all HDB blocks and nine per cent of landed homes. Mr Baey said the National Environment Agency (NEA) will continue to work with commercial partners to enhance automation and scale up mosquito production and release capacity to make it cost-effective to expand the project. But technology is “not a silver bullet”, said Mr Baey. Profuse breeding of the Aedes mosquito could reverse the success brought about by technology, he warned. He said NEA will continue to work with partner agencies and stakeholders to detect and remove potential mosquito-breeding habitats and will take firm enforcement action where necessary. He urged the community to continue to play an active part in preventing mosquito breeding and the spread of the dengue virus. Turning to efforts to lead the nation in the green transition, Mr Baey said the Government is committed to partnering the community to foster a more liveable and sustainable society. It will embark on the next phase of its efforts this year to galvanise community participation in the action plans and showcase the key programmes. Residents will be able to contribute their ideas and participate in the programmes, he said. Go Green SG will be collaborating with the Singapore Tourism Board to showcase to the world the various sustainable experiences that Singapore has to offer. Singaporeans can join international visitors in more lifestyle programming to learn more about sustainability through fun and meaningful experiences. Under SG Eco Fund, which supports ground-up solutions, S$2.4 million will be awarded to 77 projects. Mr Baey urged Singaporeans to “join forces” on climate action and "act together now" to make the country greener and more sustainable.
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