THE death of at least 36 people from dengue in the past week and a large number of hospital admission testify to what entomologists warned earlier that dengue incidence would increase in late September and October. At least, eight people died of dengue and 1,017 others were admitted to hospital on October 2, taking the death from dengue infection to 174 so far this year, as the Directorate General of Health Services says. What is also concerning is that dengue incidence has been reported from across the country. More than 50 districts have already been affected, with Dhaka reporting the highest number of cases and hospitals struggling to attend to the patients. The suspension and a relaxed anti-mosquito drive in the peak monsoon season in July-August because of political unrest is believed to have resulted in the increase. Both city authorities of Dhaka and other local government agencies have failed to continue with regular anti-mosquito drives since mid-July, when student protests intensified. It has been almost two months since the interim government was sworn in, but most local government agencies, run by administrators, have not been able to begin all their operations.
While authorities in Dhaka claim that they have continued with insecticide spray programmes, no such programmes are visible in outlying areas. Residents in different cities complain that they have hardly seen any anti-mosquito drives in a few weeks and the mosquito menace has increased significantly. Mobile court drives and inspection against water stagnation, the breeding ground of mosquitoes, had been suspended for a few weeks. In 2023, when dengue death and hospital admission reached a record high 鈥� 1,705 died and 3,21,179 needed hospital admission 鈥� the dengue menace continued well into October鈥揘ovember. What is concerning is that although dengue has been a major cause of concern for many years now, the authorities have not yet been able to strike coordination and devise an integrated vector management programme to address the menace. Corruption and inefficiency of and incoordination among authorities, coupled with a lack of awareness, are believed to have frustrated the dengue management programmes. The authorities, moreover, do not follow the World Health Organisation guidelines on mosquito control. The city authorities have largely confined their containment measures to spraying larvicide and adulticide, and that too, irregularly, inadequately and unscientifically.
The authorities should, therefore, not only resume but also redouble their mosquito control efforts to prevent the outbreak situation from becoming as fatal as it was in 2023. The authorities should also equip hospitals with adequate facilities and medicines. The authorities should prioritise research on dengue, vector behaviour and prevalence patterns to design effective prevention and treatment policies. People should also remain alert, use mosquito nets and keep houses and neighbourhoods clean.
