IRREGULARITIES and corruption at Dhaka City Corporations in buying pesticides, unplanned anti-mosquito drives and a lack of national work plan are the main reasons behind the dengue outbreak, Transparency International Bangladesh has said, as per a local daily report. The unofficial number of deaths from the mosquito-borne disease is now 146. However, the official figure is 75.
Though there were dengue outbreaks in Bangladesh in the last few years, enough importance was not given at local and national levels to control it. The strategy and work plan, which are very essential to control Aedes mosquitoes, are at a preliminary stage. Even though applying larvicide and destroying source of mosquitoes proved effective, both the City Corporations were conducting anti-mosquito drives with adulticide, as chances of irregularities were higher in purchasing the adulticide. Also since it is a very visible operation, people can easily see it being done.
Aedes mosquitoes need to be controlled via environment and organic management with mechanical method, and by applying chemicals. Applying larvicide is 80 percent effective. But Dhaka South and North City Corporations conducted anti-mosquito drives giving emphasis on adulticide, which is only 30 percent effective.
Corruption and irregularities were evident at every stage of purchasing insecticides of the two City Corporations. According to the study findings, the necessary government rules were not followed properly in buying insecticides. The DSCC bought insecticides from a company that was blacklisted by DNCC. The DSCC lost 40 percent of its money spent on insecticides in 2018-2019, the report said.
There should be a work plan involving all stakeholders and everyone’s responsibilities must be clear in the plan. The existing laws have to be amended, and real estate companies and government and private organisations need to be instructed what to do about controlling mosquitoes. There must be a provision for punishing those who fail to comply. The City Corporations will have to identify hot spots of Aedes mosquitoes each year after conducting surveys with the help of Directorate General of Health Services and icddr,b. Necessary steps will have to be taken immediately based on the survey findings. Surveys on Aedes mosquitoes have to be carried out outside Dhaka as well.
