DHAKA, June 2, 2024 (BSS) - Health Minister Dr. Samanta Lal Sen today said the government has taken all-out preparedness on healthcare services to prevent dengue diseases.

"We have asked all relevant organizations to remain alert for taking prompt actions to deal any possible outbreak of the dengue diseases," he told a press conference at his ministry here.

Emphasizing on taking comprehensive initiatives to prevent the dengue disease, the health minister said all relevant organizations have to work in a coordinated manner to combat mosquito-borne diseases as the country witnessed severe outbreak of dengue last year.

He said Bangladesh reported over three lakh dengue infected patients last year meaning this is the highest number dengue cases in a single year since the mosquito-borne disease was detected in 2000.

In the past 23 years, 2.5 lakh dengue cases were reported in the country while it logged over three lakh dengue patients last year.

Samanta said sharp rise of both infection and fatality of dengue in 2023 is forcing all relevant organizations to shed light on taking concerted efforts to destroying breeding sources of dengue diseases alongside improving healthcare services.

Community engagement is very crucial to prevent dengue disease; Samanta said, adding it is impossible for a single institution to handle the menace.

According to the health experts, the city dwellers have to be careful about sources of stagnant water as most of the people in the country have utter negligence to keep their surroundings neat and clean.

The two city corporations must assign adequate number of staffers to collect information larva of Aedes mosquito from every houses of the city, they said adding, all have to abide by rules to destroy breeding grounds of mosquito.

The survey released recently showed eighteen wards under two city corporations of Dhaka are at high risk of dengue.

The survey was conducted jointly by the two city corporations of Dhaka and the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) between April 17 and 26.
 
The wards of Dhaka North City Corporation which are at risk include - 12, 13, 20, 36, 31, 32, 17 and 33. The vulnerable wards of Dhaka South City Corporation are - 4, 13, 52, 54, 16, 3, 5, 15, 17 and 23.