10 WHO MADE A DIFFERENCE
DR. LORRIN PANG
STAR-BULLETIN / OCTOBER 2001
Maui Dr. Lorrin Pang, shown here standing to address Hana residents in October 2001, supported taking aggressive action in informing the public about dengue fever and controlling its spread.
Doctor led fight While dengue fever persists in a number of Asia-Pacific regions, Hawaii was fortunate to halt an outbreak this year that threatened the physical and financial health of the islands.
against dengue
He worked with state officials to limit
the outbreak of the virus at its sourceBy Gary T. Kubota
gkubota@starbulletin.comThe statewide success was in part due to the pivotal role played by the state health administrator for Maui Dr. Lorrin Pang, one of the Star-Bulletin's "10 Who Made a Difference" for 2002.
While many county, state and federal officials worked toward reducing dengue fever in various communities, Pang played a leading role in this team effort because of his background in tropical medicine and being on the island that was the center of the outbreak.
The Star-Bulletin is spotlighting 10 people who have made a difference in the community during 2002. This year's 10 is a diverse group but all have one thing in common: Each had a devotion to their cause and made a profound impact on Hawaii.
He supported taking aggressive action in informing the public about the sickness and in controlling the spread of the mosquito-transmitted virus.
State health workers treated the houses of suspected dengue-fever victims and advised and helped residents in taking measures to reduce the likelihood of the sickness.
Visitors were offered dengue-fever information and mosquito repellent at a temporary station established before entering outbreak areas in east Maui.
Pang worked with the county to remove trash and abandoned vehicles at no charge from select areas that could breed the virus-carrying mosquito.
Pang also held more than 20 community meetings in the county to explain the virus and made himself available beyond normal work hours to respond to questions from the news media.
Initially, when the outbreak was announced in September 2001, the Maui health office fielded about 1,000 dengue fever-related calls a day.
Limiting the spread of the disease on Maui helped to eventually control dengue fever elsewhere in the state.
At the end of the outbreak in May, there were 119 confirmed cases in the state, including 89 on Maui, 26 on Oahu, and four on Kauai.
While an outbreak could arise again, state health officials now have procedures to respond to a dengue-fever problem and confidence in knowing it can be not only contained but also halted from becoming an endemic problem.
Late this year, then-Gov. Ben Cayetano recognized the state health branch on Maui as the "State Team of the Year" for its part in halting the outbreak. Dr. Pang played a major role in leading that team.
