The target: to contain dengue fever worldwide by 2015. And the combatants in this fight: countries in the Asia-Pacific region.

Some 75 officials from the World Health Organisation (WHO) member countries are meeting at the Amara Hotel in Singapore to put the finishing touches to a seminal plan to mobilise resources and combat the debilitating disease.

By Friday, they hope to come up with a detailed roadmap to tackle the disease on various fronts. And they are hoping this plan will be convincing and detailed enough to attract funds and political commitment to control the disease.

This roadmap is part of the Asia-Pacific Dengue Partnership, formed in March 2006, and it is the largest battalion assembled to tackle the disease, said the WHO's Western Pacific regional advisor of malaria, other vectorborne and parasitic diseases, Dr John Ehrenberg.

According to WHO figures, more than 70 per cent of dengue fever cases occur in this region. And this figure has increased 30-fold in the last 50 years. The five-day meeting, which started on Monday morning, is co-hosted by WHO and the National Environment Agency (NEA).

The first draft of the Asia-Pacific dengue strategic plan was reviewed in Phuket in September 2007 with wide representation of the South East Asian region.

The meeting in Singapore will finalise the plan, which will then be endorsed by the respective health ministers of the member states later this year.

Said Dr Ehrenberg: 'Unfortunately, dengue is still a neglected disease which requires the active involvement of all the key stakeholders between and not just during the outbreaks. The expectation is that this meeting will spur such an interest.'

Added Mr Khoo Seow Poh, NEA's Director-General of Public Health: 'Dengue has remained a serious public health threat to the region, and it is important for countries to work together to strengthen our capacity in dealing with the disease. The formulation of a bi-regional plan is a timely step to this end. Singapore will continue to support this regional effort in whatever areas we can.'