Dhaka mayors’ failure to control spread of Aedes worrying
It is worrying to note that Bangladesh is bracing for a tough monsoon, considered the peak season for dengue fever, as hospitalisation and deaths from Aedes mosquito-borne viral disease remained steadily high in the last six months. Scientists and experts fear a bigger dengue outbreak this year compared to the past as the number of dengue cases in the earlier months is giving rise to alarm of yet another health hazard. They feared that dengue cases would be higher in the coming months of August and September. This is a matter of great concern.
What’s more concerning is that this year in Dhaka city there are four to five per cent more Aedes larvae during the pre-monsoon season than that of last year’s monsoon. According to media reports on Tuesday, till Monday morning, the total number of deaths in dengue rose to 56 while the total number of cases jumped to 9,193. Of the total deaths, 34 people died in the month of June alone. While the number of dengue infections in the country broke all records in 2019, the highest number of dengue deaths was reported in 2022. Last year, the total number of dengue deaths was 281 while the total number of cases was 62,382, says the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
Meanwhile, the Directorate conducted a survey on 3,150 houses in 98 wards of the two city corporations between June 18 and 27, and has found presence of Aedes mosquito larvae in 20 per cent houses under the Dhaka North City Corporation and 15 per cent houses under the Dhaka South City Corporation. The larvae of Aedes mosquito were found in 43 per cent in multi-storied apartments and 21.41 per cent in houses.
Scientists and entomologists suggested that the authorities concerned should immediately identify the breeding grounds and conduct drives to avoid massive spread of dengue menace. Sadly, the two city corporations haven’t learnt anything from the dreadful experience of dengue back in 2019.
The dangerous statistics of the first six months is enough to testify how far the dengue outbreak can escalate during the peak season of August and September this time and how much pressure can be created on the health system because of that. Dengue is spreading not only in Dhaka but also outside of the capital. Is DGHS prepared to face this pressure of dengue? It’s high time the authorities concerned should take effective steps for all-out preparation to tackle dengue and destroy Aedes mosquitoes.
