Containing dengue menace

Dengue has taken a serious turn in Bangladesh. This year's death toll from the mosquito-borne disease has already crossed 1,100, according to the media. More than 600 people are reportedly being hospitalised with the Aedes mosquito-borne disease in a day in the capital city. The number of patients hospitalised with the disease this year has surged to 231,204, with Dhaka alone accounting for 90,039 cases, according to the Directorate General of Health Services. The bad news is that the country may experience a dengue outbreak even in winter.

The responsibility of mosquito control in Dhaka city relies on the two city corporations. However, their efforts of eradicating mosquito's breeding grounds do not seem to have worked at all. Every year, it claims hundreds of lives. But the authorities concerned have not yet been able to find a way to contain it. It is high time they looked for an effective measure to tackle dengue. We also request the authorities to regularly launch anti-dengue awareness campaigns in schools and colleges. If everyone takes part in the dengue prevention campaigns to keep their living spaces clean, remove standing water and dump the discarded and damaged items, then it is possible to minimise the severity of this deadly outbreak.

Badsha Faysal,

Jurain, Dhaka,

badshafaysal1998@gmail.com