The government has launched a shared mosquito repellent scheme providing repellents at various locations across the city for everybody to use free of charge, encouraging them to use them more often, with the aim of preventing mosquito-borne dengue and chikungunya.
The mosquito repellents are available from today for everybody to use at 12 government-run “Health Fuel Stations”, located in different public parks and sitting-out areas, in the daytime between Mondays and Fridays. The government’s operation of its various “Health Fuel Stations” started early this year.
The Health Bureau (SSM) announced the provision of shared mosquito repellents during a ceremony on Saturday marking the launch of a citywide awareness campaign for the city’s households to strengthen the elimination of stagnant water with the aim of enhancing Macau’s ability to prevent dengue and chikungunya.
‘Door-to-door’ awareness campaign for eliminating stagnant water
The citywide campaign, lasting two weeks, includes “door-to-door” visits to households instructing them how to effectively identify hidden stagnant water spots and eliminate the stagnant water in and around their homes.
The bureau’s “door-to-door” awareness campaign for the elimination of stagnant water was launched in August last year for the first time, when Macau was facing a significant threat of being affected by chikungunya community transmissions, as the neighbouring Guangdong Province was then affected by an outbreak of chikungunya fever.
In 2025, according to the bureau’s data, Macau recorded 46 cases of chikungunya fever, comprising 38 imported and eight local cases, and 36 cases of dengue fever, comprising a local and 35 imported cases.
Addressing Saturday’s ceremony, which was held at the Areia Preta Health Centre, SSM Director Alvis Lo Iek Long said that the “door-to-door” awareness campaign this time is “a continuation” from last year’s campaign, which, he said, proved to be effective in strengthening residents’ awareness of the elimination of stagnant water.
According to Dr Lo, the ongoing door-to-door visits are being carried out by over 80 volunteers from a number of public entities as well as from various community associations.
Dr Lo also said that the two-week door-to-door visits are specifically targeting households in old residential buildings.
The campaign aims to make the elimination of stagnant water a daily habit for every resident, he said.
Dr Lo noted that with the arrival of summer, increased rainfall and rising temperatures have brought the Aedes albopictus mosquito into its peak activity period in Macau.
Between January and April this year, he said, Macau recorded five imported cases of dengue fever and two imported cases of chikungunya fever. Although the seven cases were all imported ones, he said, Macau must not let its guard down in its prevention and control work, as neighbouring regions normally began to record locally transmitted cases of the two ailments in early summer in previous years.
Consequently, it is essential for the local government to make early preparations for the two diseases’ potential threats to the city, the health chief said.
‘Health Fuel Stations’
Meanwhile, the bureau also announced during Saturday’s ceremony that it has launched a shared mosquito repellent scheme, where mosquito repellents starting today are available at the 12 government-run “Health Fuel Stations” across the city for everybody to use.
The operation of the “Health Fuel Stations” is a new community programme that the government launched in January this year aiming to enable residents to gain “easy” access to its “health resources”, with the objective of encouraging more residents to maintain a healthy lifestyle. The programme is jointly carried out by the Health Bureau (SSM), the Sports Bureau (ID), and the Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC), with the aim of leveraging the synergy effect created by the three public entities’ respective services provided to residents.
Specifically, the programme launched in January this year is the government’s first-ever initiative to integrate three elements of “health information, scientific exercise, and cultural nourishment”, provided by the three bureaus respectively, into a single community setting.
When the programme was launched early this year, eight “Health Fuel Stations” were set up across the city, before the government raised the number of such stations to a dozen last month.
The government also extended the scope of services provided by the “Health Fuel Stations” last month.
Six of the 12 stations open every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, while the other six open every Tuesday and Thursday. The 12 stations, located in public parks and sitting-out areas, are operated between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m., and between 4:30 p.m. and 7 p.m.
Each of the 12 stations is jointly run by the three bureaus, where the Health Bureau provides participants with free blood pressure tests, blood glucose tests, health information and assessments, while the Sports Bureau provides personalised scientific exercise guidance, and the Cultural Affairs Bureau provides participants with guidance and information on various arts and cultural activities.
More locations to have shared mosquito repellents
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of Saturday’s ceremony, Leong Iek Hou, who heads the Health Bureau’s Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), said that shared mosquito repellents are available from today at the 12 “Health Fuel Stations” in the first phase, after which the government will extend the availability of the repellents to public health centres, health inspection posts at border checkpoints, and various other government facilities later this month.
After reviewing the implementation of the measure, she said, the government will extend the availability of the repellents to more public facilities as well as those run by major community associations.
Leong underlined that all facilities and premises providing shared mosquito repellents will be staffed during operating hours to ensure the proper hygiene and use of the repellents.
Attendees watch a performance delivering the message of mosquito prevention during Saturday’s ceremony at the Areia Preta Health Centre. – Photo: SSM
This poster released by the Health Bureau (SSM) earlier this year shows the information on the 12 “Health Fuel Stations”. The English translation was arranged by the Post.
