Bangladesh to launch 3-month nationwide dengue prevention drive from Sept 12

The government will launch a three-month special cleaning and public awareness campaign across the country from Sept 12 to prevent dengue, a mosquito-borne disease.

The decision was taken at a meeting held at the Cabinet Division in the Secretariat on Tuesday, said Deputy Press Secretary Mostafa Zulfiquar Hasan.

“Detailed discussions were held at the meeting on how to tackle the dengue outbreak. The honourable prime minister will inaugurate the campaign on Sept 12,” he said.

The prime minister has urged people across the country to actively participate in efforts to tackle dengue as the next three months are a high-risk period.

“Dengue control cannot depend solely on mosquito eradication activities. Special emphasis must be placed on cleanliness and public awareness,” he said.

Describing the next three months as “crucial for the dengue situation”, the prime minister said government initiatives must be accompanied by active public participation during this period.

“People must be encouraged to keep their homes, educational institutions, government and private establishments and surrounding areas clean regularly,” he said.

According to the deputy press secretary, the three-month special campaign will be carried out in a coordinated manner at the grassroots level, involving local administrations, voluntary organisations and students.

The respective city corporations will coordinate the activities in metropolitan areas, while deputy commissioners will coordinate them at the district level.

At the Upazila level, Upazila Nirbahi officers, or UNOs, will be responsible for coordinating local activities.

The prime minister called for people to regularly keep their homes, educational institutions, government and private establishments and surrounding areas clean.

Volunteers from the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief, along with Scouts, Bangladesh National Cadet Corps (BNCC), Girl Guides, Bangladesh Red Crescent Society volunteers and school and college students, will take part in the cleanling and awareness campaign.

Every Saturday, volunteers and students will visit different homes and establishments to participate in cleaning activities.

At the same time, emphasis will be placed on identifying places that could become breeding grounds for Aedes mosquitoes, the vector that spreads dengue, and raising awareness among people about keeping their homes and surrounding areas clean.

The deputy press secretary said the prime minister had instructed authorities to conduct extensive publicity through the mass media and social media alongside cleanliness drives at the grassroots level.

“He has particularly instructed that dengue awareness campaigns be broadcast on television and messages on dengue prevention be disseminated regularly through social media,” he said.