Singapore medical researchers aim to recruit about 1,200 people to join the global clinical trials to test a dengue vaccine over the next six months, local media reported on Tuesday.

According to local radio 938 live, this will make Singapore the latest country in Asia-Pacific to join in the global dengue vaccine clinical trial conducted by the French drugs company Sanofi Pasteur. The study has been joined by countries such as Thailand, the Philippines and Vietnam.

The objective of this global clinical trial is to develop a vaccine capable of fighting against various dengue strains.

Singapore registered a total of 1,526 dengue cases for the first 13 weeks of this year, up 22 percent compared to the same period last year.

According to the report, almost 2 billion people in Asia-Pacific are at risk of dengue fever, making this disease a serious public health issue.

(Xinhua News Agency April 23, 2009)