“The fight doesn’t involve only the government, but the people, too.
“It’s pretty much a two-way thing for us to get this issue controlled,” he said to reporters during a press conference.
Earlier, Loga opened the Eighth International Conference on World-Class Sustainable Cities (2016) at the Sime Darby Convention Centre in Kuala Lumpur.
He was responding to an earlier report by English daily The Star stating that the Kota Kinabalu City Hall is fighting an uphill battle against the Zika virus as many residents were unwilling to allow entry to health officials for inspection.
These were occupants at the Taman Public Jaya Apartment in Sabah where a 61-year-old man, who lived there, died of heart complications last week after contracting Zika.
Loga stressed that public awareness is vital in eradicating the Zika virus in the country.
“The public must come out and help us resolve this issue. It cannot be one-sided.”
When asked if the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) is going to step up efforts along with the health ministry, Loga pointed out that DBKL had already implemented preventive measures before Zika was detected in Malaysia.
“We already started the dengue programme. So, our part of the commitment in this fight is to make sure that places are kept clean, rubbish is collected and water retention areas are cleared.
“In fact, we are proceeding even more vigorously in this battle. It’s a continuing effort by DBKL,” he pointed out.
In Klang, where the first case of Zika in the country was reported, authorities are also facing a similar problem.
According to The Star, Klang Municipal Council (MPK) Secretary Adi Faizal Ahmad Tarmizi was quoted as saying that many residents were unwilling to cooperate with enforcement officers from the council, with many ignoring door bells when officers showed up.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared Zika an international health emergency because it can cause birth defects, including brain and skull malformation known as microcephaly.
Aside from being primarily transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito, the Zika virus can also be transmitted through sexual contact and blood transfusion.