Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) urged the government to declare a public health emergency due to the worsening dengue situation across the country.
It emphasised the urgent need for the formulation and implementation of an integrated roadmap to effectively manage dengue.
In a press release, TIB highlighted that the dengue situation has reached a critical stage in almost every part of the country, including Dhaka. The organisation attributed this deterioration to a lack of coordination, proper planning, preparedness, and effective implementation by responsible agencies.
TIB asserted that without transparency, accountability, and the adoption of ineffective measures plagued by irregularities and corruption, it would be difficult to prevent dengue.
Iftekharuzzaman, the executive director of TIB, said, "The situation may be dire, there were such warnings, but the initiative of the two city corporations to prevent dengue in the capital is disappointing.”
He called for coordinated actions between the city corporations and the health department, urging the use of alternative mosquito control methods beyond relying solely on profit-based insecticides.
He said the authorities concerned did not have any long-term planning and coordinated efforts to prevent dengue by giving due importance to the above-mentioned research-based policy briefs, involving experts in the respective sectors.
The executive director of TIB highlighted the urgent need for coordinated measures in city corporations and municipalities outside Dhaka to identify and resolve mosquito eradication issues promptly.
TIB provided several recommendations in its press release. Drawing from the lessons learned during the Covid-19 crisis, TIB suggested the establishment of advisory panels comprising experts from relevant sectors.
Regular activities should be conducted based on their recommendations to prevent dengue effectively. Additionally, a comprehensive year-round management plan should be formulated and implemented, with a focus on increasing the use of environmentally friendly mosquito control methods.
Furthermore, TIB stressed the importance of raising public awareness and disseminating warning messages about Aedes mosquitoes, dengue disease control, and prompt treatment through various channels, including social media.
2 more die, 820 hospitalised in 24hrs
Two more deaths were reported from dengue in the last 24 hours till Saturday morning, raising the number of fatalities from the mosquito-borne disease in Bangladesh to 67 this year.
During the period, 820 more patients were hospitalised with viral fever, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
Of the new patients, 603 were admitted to hospitals in Dhaka and the rest outside it, the DGHS said.
A total of 2,502 dengue patients, including 1,773 in the capital, are now receiving treatment at hospitals across the country.
So far, the DGHS has recorded 12,118 dengue cases and 9,549 recoveries.
The country logged 281 dengue deaths in 2022 – the highest on record after 179 deaths recorded in 2019. Also, it recorded 62,423 dengue cases and 61,971 recoveries last year.
