Dengue claims 9 in a single day

Bangladesh recorded its highest single-day dengue death toll of the year on Tuesday, with nine people dying from the mosquito-borne disease in the past 24 hours, as health officials warned the outbreak was worsening and the government announced a three-month nationwide campaign to contain it.

The latest deaths pushed the nationwide toll to 130 since January 1, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).

Of Tuesday’s fatalities, three were reported in Dhaka South City Corporation, two each in
Dhaka and Khulna divisions, and one each in Barishal and Mymensingh divisions.

The same 24-hour period also saw 1,571 new dengue patients hospitalised nationwide, the highest daily figure recorded this year, bringing the cumulative case count to 45,475. Of those, 42,127 patients have since been discharged after recovery.

Dengue, once considered a seasonal illness in Bangladesh, has increasingly persisted throughout the year, deepening public concern.

This year followed the same pattern: cases remained under control early on but deteriorated sharply after the monsoon season began.

Monthly death figures show a steady climb – 13 deaths in June, 36 in July, and a peak of 43 in August.

In just the first week of September, 24 people died, while more than a thousand patients were hospitalised daily during the month’s first four days, alarming health officials.

Dr. M A Hasnat, a medicine specialist at Universal Medical College Hospital, said that while public anxiety over dengue is high, awareness of preventive measures remains inadequate.

He urged people to destroy potential mosquito breeding sites early and to seek prompt medical consultation to confirm whether a fever is dengue.

To manage the caseload, the DGHS has instructed public and private hospitals to reserve at least 10 percent of beds for dengue patients.

DGHS Director General Professor Provat Chandra Biswas said efforts were under way to ensure mosquito nets were in place in dengue wards.

He added that private hospitals had been directed to offer discounts on diagnostic tests for the disease, alongside the instruction to reserve a tenth of hospital beds for dengue patients.

Health officials say the department has adequate preparations in place to handle the outbreak and have urged the public to remain vigilant rather than panicked.

PM to Launch Three-Month Campaign Separately, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman is set to inaugurate a three-month special nationwide campaign against dengue on Saturday, focused on cleanliness and public awareness to curb the disease’s spread.

The decision followed the prime minister’s directive at a dengue-prevention meeting at the Secretariat, according to his Deputy Press Secretary Hasan Shiplu.

Tarique said the coming three months should be treated as a high-risk period and stressed that mosquito-control measures alone would not be enough to contain the outbreak, calling for greater emphasis on public awareness and household cleanliness.

He directed authorities to carry out coordinated field-level activities involving local administrations, voluntary organisations and students.

Under the campaign, city corporations will coordinate drives in metropolitan areas, deputy commissioners will oversee district-level activities, and upazila nirbahi officers will lead efforts at the upazila level.

Volunteers from the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief, scouts, the Bangladesh National Cadet Corps (BNCC), Girl Guides, the Bangladesh Red Crescent Society, and school and college students will take part in weekly cleanliness and awareness drives.

Every Saturday, volunteers and students will visit homes and other establishments to clean surroundings, identify potential Aedes mosquito breeding grounds, and raise awareness among residents.

Tarique also directed authorities to intensify dengue awareness campaigns through mass media and social media, with particular emphasis on television advertisements and the regular dissemination of prevention messages online.