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The health authorities collect dengue infection data from a very few dengue diagnosis centres and represent it as a complete picture of the situation, reveals a new TIB study.
The Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) disclosed this in a study styled 'Dengue Crisis Prevention and Control: Governance Challenges and the Way Forward' in Dhaka on Monday.
The study showed the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) collected a representative sample of data in the eight worst dengue-affected districts, including Dhaka and Chattogram.
The DGHS collected information from only 165 out of 2,687 dengue diagnosis centres in the districts, which is only 6.1 per cent of the total centres, according to the study.
The study criticised health minister's comment that it was not his ministry's job to control dengue, coordination gap among agencies and poor preparation of hospitals to address dengue endemic, which has already claimed so many lives, including children.
TIB senior research fellow Md Julkarnayeen, and research fellows Razia Sultana and Mostafa Kamal jointly presented the findings of the study with TIB executive director Dr Iftekharuzzaman in the chair.
The study was conducted from September 25 to October 25 this year in a total of 10 worst dengue-hit districts.
The number of fatalities and the hospitalisation rate due to this deadly Aedes-borne disease has been the highest in Bangladesh in the last 23 years.
The total number of deaths due to dengue has now reached 1,341, including Monday's eight fatalities, according to the DGHS. Again, the total cases rose to 269,388 with 1,708 new cases of hospitalisation.
According to the TIB, the health authorities only take information about dengue patients' admissions to a limited number of hospitals and present it as the total dengue cases of infection.
Therefore, the authorities cannot take prompt measures to address dengue fever. Even the limited healthcare capacity has failed to visualise the real picture of dengue infection countrywide. "No database on dengue has been prepared in the past 20 years, which is a major obstacle to fighting against dengue and taking an action plan," reads the study.
It exposes the continued use of the same insecticides for up to 27 years, a practice that leads to pesticide-resistant mosquitoes and makes pest control increasingly challenging.
Simultaneously, financial irregularities and corruption have thrived amid the health crisis, adds the study.
Field workers responsible for spaying insecticide were said to use more effective medicines in houses in exchange for payment ranging from Tk 100 to Tk 500.
Syndicates artificially created shortages and sold intravenous (IV) saline solutions at Tk 500-600 while they are typically priced at Tk 100. Furthermore, the study exposes a trend of single-bid procurement in some cases where a pesticide supplier received 16 work orders from three city corporations.
Dr Zaman said unlike the Covid-19 pandemic, experts and stakeholders were not involved in the dengue prevention efforts.
In summary, the issue of dengue prevention and control failed to receive sufficient political and administrative priority. The problem was exacerbated by a severe lack of coordination, he added.
"Syndicates in collusion with a section of corrupt officials exploited the situation for personal gains," alleged Dr Zaman.
The study suggested recognising the dengue situation as "national crisis" and taking a "national integrated action" plan to address the situation.
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