On top of those broader measures listed and the general level of public cleaning/maintenance, there’s reporting of every dengue infection diagnosed along with the individual’s home address and particulars to the National Environmental Agency. Cases and trends are monitored for developing clusters, publicly publishing up-to-date findings and exact numbers. Where a cluster is found, they do additional anti-mosquito fogging and significantly increase the local public awareness campaign (huge banners, posters in every elevator, distribute leaflets, etc).
They then send agents unannounced to inspect inside every home/unit in the area for any potential breeding grounds. Everything is checked from potted plant trays to dish drying racks to toilet bowl scrubber holders. If any breeding is found, there’s fines in the thousands of dollars. The agents are empowered to enter without a warrant; it’s taken THAT seriously.
The NEA also monitors and takes appropriate action against non-residential areas like construction sites, where standing water is hard to eliminate unless it’s a priority.
https://www.nea.gov.sg/corporate-functions/resources/researc...
Dengue is just a difficult thing to fight. In 2020, more people died of dengue in Singapore than from Covid (32 dengue deaths vs 29 Covid deaths).
Singapore had 8k cases in 2022. Brazil has 3 million cases of dengue in 2024. Is not the same thing.
Brazil is a massive 8,514,215 km2 while Singapore is just a tiny 734 km2 island which is very highly urbanised and developed and doesn't have a significant rural population (hence the description of "city-state").
Its small enough that you can monitor mozzie levels at the individual building level, and locate and deal with breeding spots at that level too. That might also be practical in urban areas in Brazil, but for rural areas I suspect is not feasible?
Aedes aegypti is an urban mosquito. Degue is an urban disease. The big difference between Brazil and Singapore is sanitation: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_supply_and_sanitation_in...
As well as checking all these things the agent will advise on what to look out for. For example our unused plastic buckets in the bathroom are upside down so they don't accumulate water, ah! but then also must check that little rim channel as it too can also accumulate enough water from nearby splashing to become a breeding spot!
SG also has Zika which transmits via Aedes mosquitos.
The common corridors in many blocks also have "Gravitraps" they use to monitor numbers by counting how many mozzies get trapped.
Came here to say this. I lived in SG for 14 years, we had the "mosquito police" show up to our office (shophouse in Emerald hill) and do an inspection.
If you're getting mosquitoes in your place, you can call the NEA and they'll send people out looking for the source.
Grass is mowed religiously in Singapore to help keep the mosquitoes under control and there's always a ton of spraying. During COVID lockdowns, a lot of the lawn guys were stuck in the dormitories so the grass got tall. Also, the coconut palms went untrimmed. The morning walks became fraught with danger as the palms were overloaded with coconuts and were consistently falling onto the footpaths. I know COVID sucked for a lot of people, but I find a weird sense of nostalgia for that time.