Rohingya camps report 3.5-time more Dengue cases than in entire country

The number of dengue cases identified in Cox's Bazar's Rohingya camps stood at 7,687 until 24 July, which was more than 3.5 times the patients in the whole country, according to a survey conducted by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

During the same time, 2,146 people across the country contracted the mosquito-borne disease, says the survey report published on 3 August.

International organisation Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), which is providing medical care in Dhaka and Cox's Bazar, said most of the dengue patients they received since May were Rohingyas.

MSF Medical Coordinator Kennedy Uadiale said, "We have increased our testing and service capacity in response to the growing number of dengue patients."

Cox's Bazar Civil Surgeon Dr Md Mahbubur Rahman told TBS, "Dengue is under control in the district, but the infection is higher among Rohingyas. Aedes mosquitoes are likely to be produced in the camps because of the stagnant water in various places. We are collectively trying to bring the situation under control."

Entomologist Kabirul Bashar said, "We had warned about a dengue outbreak in Cox's Bazar. If dengue had been controlled from the beginning, it would not have become so dangerous. Already, the number of dengue patients in the Rohingya camps has crossed 8,000. Dengue patients are spreading across the country."

Be-Nazir Ahmed, former director of Disease Control at Directorate General of Health Services, said, "National dengue control programme should be implemented which should be under the control of the local government. Entomologists should also be appointed. We should formulate a national strategy to control dengue and make it a year-round programme."

Regarding the increase of dengue in Rohingya camps, he said the urbanisation of Rohingya camps is higher than in any other area, so a special programme should be established there to control dengue.

According to the DGHS, 1,571 patients got infected with dengue in July of whom nine died. However, in the first 12 days of August, the number of patients reached 891 and six died.

On Friday, 53 more dengue patients were hospitalised across the country according to the DGHS. Among them, 50 patients were hospitalised in Dhaka city and three outside Dhaka.

As many as 346 dengue patients, including 274 in the capital, are now receiving treatment at hospitals across the country.

A total of 49 out of 72 dengue patients outside the capital are currently undergoing treatment in health facilities in Cox's Bazar district, which is 68% of the total under-treatment patients outside Dhaka city, according to official data.

A total of 1,571 were hospitalised in July, 737 in June, 163 in May, 23 in April, 20 each in February and March and 126 in January, from the DGHS data.

At least 2,982 dengue hospitalisation was reported in Dhaka city, the official data showed.

A total of 3,189 people were discharged from the hospitals after being infected with dengue.