Govt steps up dengue fight with new taskforce

Concerns growing over a possible rise in dengue infections during the monsoon season, Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives (LGRD) Minister Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Sunday directed all relevant agencies to strengthen coordinated efforts to prevent dengue and other mosquito-borne diseases across the country.

The minister said public awareness and active citizen participation are as crucial as government initiatives in combating dengue. He urged all institutions under the ministry, including city corporations, municipalities and district councils, to carry out their responsibilities more effectively to curb the spread of the disease.

The directives were issued at the first meeting of the National Committee on Prevention of Dengue and Other Mosquito-Borne Diseases, held at the conference room of the Local Government Division at the Secretariat. Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, who is also Secretary General of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), chaired the meeting. State Minister for LGRD Mir Shahe Alam was present.

To strengthen prevention and response activities, the meeting approved the formation of a special taskforce under the supervision of the State Minister for LGRD. The taskforce will oversee field-level operations, issue necessary directives, enhance coordination among agencies and implement emergency response measures when required.

The meeting adopted a number of decisions aimed at controlling dengue and other mosquito-borne diseases. These include distributing awareness materials and leaflets on a large scale through various government offices and organisations, organising special awareness campaigns in schools, colleges and madrasas involving teachers, students and guardians, and intensifying cleanliness drives through cooperation among local administrations, elected representatives and civil society groups.

Other measures include regular testing and monitoring of fogger machines and mosquito control activities, launching special drives to identify and eliminate Aedes mosquito breeding sites, and increasing inspections of under-construction buildings, rooftop gardens, tyre shops, garages and waterlogged areas.

The committee also decided to expand public awareness efforts through mass media and social media platforms, reinforce monitoring and supervision of dengue prevention activities, and improve the collection and analysis of patient data to identify high-risk areas and take timely action.

Participants at the meeting stressed that integrated and proactive preparations are necessary as dengue infections may increase during the rainy season. They emphasised the importance of swiftly implementing the committee’s decisions, accelerating field-level operations and ensuring adequate manpower for prevention activities.

Representatives from various ministries, agencies and city corporations attended the meeting. Senior officials of the Local Government Division, along with representatives from Dhaka University, Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, WASA, LGED, DPHE and RAJUK, also took part.

The meeting was informed that the national committee had recently been reconstituted to make government efforts against dengue and other mosquito-borne diseases more coordinated and effective. The committee, headed by LGRD Minister Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, includes representatives from different ministries, divisions and agencies.

Participants expressed optimism that the decisions adopted at the committee’s inaugural meeting would contribute significantly to strengthening dengue control efforts and reducing the public health risk posed by mosquito-borne diseases.