Dengue cases will be under control in a month, says LGRD minister

The spread of dengue will be curbed in a month, following a combination of rising awareness among people in Dhaka, changes in the weather and government initiatives, says Minister of Local Government Md Tazul Islam.

Senior Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 23 Sept 2021, 12:23 PM
Updated : 23 Sept 2021, 12:23 PM

“The mayors and councillors are working together with the people. Pesticides are sprayed every day. We have created awareness among the people on destroying the breeding grounds for Aedes mosquitoes. We hope the Aedes mosquito menace will drop to a tolerable limit within a month,” he said at an event on Thursday.

Bangladesh is not combating the dengue disease alone, but is facing the same global challenges as many other countries, the minister said.

Bangladesh can fight the challenge by focusing on the experiences gained by other countries and a concerted effort by all at home, Islam said.

Climate and weather play important roles in the breeding of Aedes mosquitoes. This year, however, the virus lockdown and Eid holidays have allowed more mosquitoes to breed, he said.

“Many people left their houses and went to their villages. Also, construction workers went on leave. This caused the spread of Aedes mosquitos. The period from May-June to September-October is the breeding time for these mosquitos, because intermittent rain is common at this time.”

According to the Directorate General of Health Services, 16,451 people have contracted dengue since January this year. At least 1,018 of them have been hospitalised, as of Wednesday.

The mosquito borne disease has taken 59 lives up to now, the second highest annual toll in Bangladesh. In 2019, the IEDCR confirmed 148 of 266 deaths at hospitals to be caused by dengue.