Samanta for taking comprehensive initiatives to prevent dengue

Health and Family Welfare Minister Professor Dr Samanta Lal Sen on Tuesday laid emphasis on taking comprehensive initiatives to prevent dengue disease.
 
"All relevant organisations have to work in a coordinated manner to combat mosquito-borne diseases, including dengue and Chikungunya, as the country witnessed a severe outbreak of dengue last year," he told a meeting at his ministry, BSS reports citing an official.
 
Samanta said Bangladesh reported nearly 0.3 million (three lakh) dengue-infected patients last year, meaning "this is the highest number of dengue cases in a single year since the mosquito-borne disease was detected in 2000."

In the past 23 years, 0.25 million (2.5 lakh) dengue cases were reported in the country, while it logged three dengue patients last year.
 
The health minister said the sharp rise of both infection and fatality of dengue in 2023 is forcing all relevant organisations to shed light on taking concerted efforts to destroy breeding sources of dengue diseases alongside improving healthcare services.

Community engagement is very crucial to prevent dengue disease, Samanta said, adding that it is impossible for a single institution to handle the menace.
 
At the meeting, State Minister for Health and Family Welfare Dr Rokeya Sultana urged the city dwellers to remain careful about sources of stagnant water, as most of the people in the country have utter negligence to keep their surroundings neat and clean.
 
"The two city corporations must assign adequate number of staffers to collect information larva of Aedes mosquito from every houses of the city ... all have to abide by rules to destroy breeding grounds of mosquito," she added.  

City dwellers must be cautious about stagnant water, which is the main source of breeding for Aedes mosquitoes, Rokeya said, adding that even a small quantity of water can grow Aedes mosquitoes, leading to the spread of such a deadly disease.