Round-the-clock coordination among authorities must to fight dengue: LGRD minister

Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operatives Minister Abdul Moin Khan has called for round-the-clock coordination between the health ministry and local government authorities to contain dengue, warning that the situation could worsen in the coming months.

"Prevention is better than cure," he said yesterday while speaking as the chief guest at a workshop on a "Strategic Action Plan for Dengue Prevention" in the capital. 

The minister urged all relevant agencies to strengthen preventive measures and ensure their effective implementation at the grassroots level.

Although dengue cases and deaths so far this year are slightly lower than during the same period last year, there is no room for complacency, he said, noting that August, September and October are the riskiest months, with the peak potentially extending into November.

"Effective field-level measures must be taken now, alongside a coordinated action plan, to prevent the death toll from rising in the coming months," he said.

The minister also said a three-month dengue prevention and cleanliness programme was launched two days ago to prevent the disease from spreading nationwide. Simultaneous awareness campaigns in all 64 districts are also encouraging young people to participate, he added.

8 more die, 1,733 hospitalised

Eight more people died with dengue in the 24 hours until 8am yesterday, raising the country's death toll this year to 157.

A total of 1,733 new dengue patients were hospitalised nationwide during the period, according to Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) data.

Dengue situation may worsen in October

Kabirul Bashar, professor of zoology at Jahangirnagar University and a medical entomologist, said a forecasting model suggests Bangladesh's dengue situation could worsen further in October.

He said the common belief that Aedes mosquitoes bite only during the day is incorrect, as tests have shown they can also bite at night.

People should remain cautious during winter even when fewer Aedes mosquitoes are visible, as fogging is ineffective against them and may pose health risks, Bashar said, calling for evidence-based mosquito-control measures.

He said an Aedes mosquito requires at least two days after acquiring the dengue virus before it can transmit the disease. As a result, other household members may develop dengue several days after one person is infected.

He advised families to eliminate mosquitoes from their homes when a member contracts dengue to reduce the risk of transmission.

Iffat Mahmud, senior operations officer at the World Bank's Dhaka office and task team leader of the project, attending as a special guest at the event.

Officials from the Local Government Division, WHO, Unicef, icddr,b, DGHS, IEDCR, Nipsom, Bangladesh Meteorological Department, city corporations and municipalities, along with relevant experts, attended the workshop.