Bangladesh gears up to stem dengue outbreak amid COVID-19 pandemic

The government has issued a seven-point directive to its officials to take necessary preventive measures against dengue, the mosquito-borne disease that ran rampant across the country last year, amid the country's ongoing fight to tame the coronavirus.

Warning about the risk of another outbreak of the disease, which affected a record number of people in Dhaka and the rest of the country in 2019, the Ministry of Public Administration sent out the directives to additional secretaries at its different wings along with the relevant health authorities on Sunday. 

It followed from a virtual meeting between the chief coordinator at the Prime Minister’s Office and relevant government officials addressing the matter.

“We need to take initiatives starting now to prevent the spread of dengue in line with these instructions. There is no alternative to raising awareness on the issue.”

The government has advised keeping offices, toilets and surrounding areas clean. Any waste, including discarded papers, bottles, tyre-tubes, coconut shells should be disposed of immediately.

Patios, washrooms, residences and surrounding areas should also be cleaned and any stagnant water should be eliminated.

Pots holding flowers and other plants at home or on rooftop gardens must also be removed or drained of any stored water, according to the directives.