He made these remarks as the chief guest at the emergency meeting of the National Taskforce Committee on prevention of dengue and mosquito-borne diseases held on Sunday (August 30) at the meeting room of the Local Government Division in the Secretariat. The meeting was chaired by State Minister for Local Government Mir Shah Alam.
The minister said there are various challenges in controlling mosquitoes in densely populated areas like Dhaka North and South City Corporations and Gazipur. Despite limited resources, the city corporations are working. Mosquito larvae sources must be identified and measures must be taken to prevent water from accumulating there.
He further said research and review on the effectiveness of mosquito-killing insecticides are ongoing with the cooperation of developed countries including Japan. University experts have also been involved in this work. Emphasis is being given to increasing technical capacity along with public awareness in dengue control.
At the meeting, State Minister for Local Government Mir Shah Alam said the number of dengue patients this year has come down to nearly half compared to last year. Cleaning campaigns, insecticide spraying, and awareness activities continue in various city corporations to control mosquitoes.
He informed that from January this year to yesterday, about 90 people have died while undergoing treatment for dengue. During the same period, about 2,200 to 2,500 patients have recovered after treatment and returned home.
Appealing to the public, the state minister said that inside homes, roofs, balconies, and surroundings, places where water can accumulate, including discarded tyres and plastic containers, must be kept clean regularly. Along with government initiatives, public awareness can play an important role in preventing dengue.
The meeting was attended by secretaries of the Local Government and Health Departments, the administrator of Dhaka South City Corporation, officials of Dhaka North and South City Corporations, and chief health officers of 13 city corporations among others. Officials from 11 city corporations outside Dhaka joined the meeting virtually.
