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Dengue eradication drive should continue: Experts


Published : 06 Oct 2019 07:37 PM | Updated : 07 Sep 2020 11:01 AM

Spread of dengue has been decreasing across the country but the situation is still grave as per the experts’ observation. A total of 269 new dengue patients have been admitted in different hospitals across the country recently, confirmed Aysha Akhter, Assistant Director of the health emergency operation center and control room of the Directorate General of Health Services.

The data of the office also showed that a total of 2406 patients have been admitted in October last year when 1663 patients were admitted only in first five days of the month this year. The highest infected number of dengue patients were recorded in August this year, which was 52,636. Meanwhile the number was 16,253 in July and 16,856 in September.

Officials from Dhaka’s two city corporations and across the country seemed to loosening their mosquito control activities after finding the decrease in number of dengue infection. The experts expressed worry about the matter. They asked the Health Ministry, LGRD Ministry and city corporations not to show relax in the activities on controlling Aedes.

The number of dengue infection is decreasing in comparison with that of August but still now there is no scope to soften the Aedes control activities,” Dr. Mozaherul Haque, former Director of South-East Asia World Health Organisation, told Bangladesh Post. He said, the country still experiencing rains all over, so, there are still risk of spreading the dengue.

In this situation, the departments concerned and officials should continue the battle against dengue, he added. Both the city corporations of the capital claim that they have started year-long drive against Aedes mosquito but there are no reflections in their activities. People from both areas alleged that there are no activities visible against mosquito.

“Where is the year-long drives to control breeding of Aedes mosquito. In our area, we have not found any city corporation’s mosquito control employee in last several weeks,” said, Sabuj Hossain at Gandaria. People from Uttara and adjacent areas also made similar allegation. Officials from the Directorate General of Health Services also expressed worries about the continued admission of dengue patients in hospitals.

One of the officials said, there are high concern about the possibility of further spread of dengue epidemic in the country. In this situation, they also asked all to be alert and continue to maintain the cautionary measures to control Aedes mosquito breeding. According to the data of the Directorate General of Health Services, 89,616 dengue patients were admitted in hospitals across the country from January 1 to October 5 this year.

It also said that the office received 236 dengue suspected death information so far. After examining 136 death cases, the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR) confirmed that 81 deaths were caused by dengue. Besides, 10,148 persons were affected by dengue in 2018, among them 26 died.