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DHAKA, March 19, 2024 (BSS) - Health and Family Welfare Minister Professor Dr Samanta Lal Sen today laid emphasis on taking comprehensive initiatives to prevent the dengue disease.  
"All relevant organizations have to work in a coordinated manner to combat mosquito-borne diseases including dengue and Chikungunya as the country witnessed severe outbreak of dengue last year," he told a meeting at his ministry here, an official release said.

Mayor of Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) Barrister Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh, Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) mayor Md Atiqul Islam, State Minister for Health and Family Welfare Dr Rokeya Sultana, Secretary of Health Service Division Md Jahangir Alam, Director General of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) Prof Dr Abul Bashar Mohammad Khurshid Alam, President of Bangladesh Medical Association (BMA) Dr Mostafa Jalal Mohiuddin and President of Swadhinata Chikitshak Parishad Prof Dr Jamaluddin Chowdhury.

Samanta said Bangladesh reported nearly 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 three dengue patients last year.  

The health minister 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.

At the meeting, State minister for Health and Family Welfare Dr Rokeya Sultana urged the city dwellers to remain 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 ... all have to abide by rules to destroy breeding grounds of mosquito," she added.
 
City dwellers must be cautious about stagnant water which is the main source of breeding of Aedes mosquito, Rokeya said, adding that even a small quantity of water can grow Aedes mosquitoes leading to the spread of such deadly disease.