‘Integrated action plan to be taken to prevent dengue’

An integrated action plan would be formulated in coordination with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to take necessary measures to prevent dengue, Local Government, Rural Development (LGRD) and Cooperatives Minister Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan has said.

“All relevant institutions, including the Local Government Division and the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, must work together to contain the disease,” he made the remarks as the chief guest at the inaugural ceremony of a workshop titled “Strategic Action Plan for Dengue Prevention” at a city hotel on Monday.

He stressed strengthening preventive activities at the field level, saying prevention is more effective than cure.

The minister said August, September and October are the peak period for dengue, making it urgent to take necessary measures before the situation worsens.

Although the number of infections and deaths is slightly lower than during the same period last year, there is no scope for complacency, he said.

Dr Moyeen said Prime Minister Tarique Rahman inaugurated a three-month dengue prevention and cleanliness campaign two days ago and issued directives to prevent the spread of the disease across the country.

The Prime Minister is inspiring the new generation by participating in simultaneous awareness campaigns across all 64 districts and calling on them to become partners in social transformation, he said.

Referring to the history of dengue, Dr Moyeen said it was not a new disease, as people in different parts of the world had been battling it for nearly 2,000 years.

He said reviewing the disease’s history and drawing on past experiences would help make future strategies more effective while formulating an action plan.

Considering the history of the disease, environmental factors and mosquito spread, he said, authorities must combine local realities and experience with modern technology.

The event was presided over by Local Government Division Secretary Md Shahidul Hassan. Iffat Mahmud, Senior Operations Officer and Project Task Team Leader at the World Bank’s Dhaka office, attended as a special guest.

Officials from the Local Government Division and representatives from the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, icddr,b, the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), IEDCR, NIPSOM, the Department of Meteorology, and different city corporations and municipalities attended the workshop.