Monirul Haque Rony :
Although the number of deaths due to corona in the country has come down a bit, it is not over yet. The issue of complete eradication is also a matter of time. Experts are not able to give any definite idea as to when the inhabitants of the world will be saved from this epidemic. In addition, many specialists think that the fourth wave of Corona may come next. At a time when the people of our country are living in extreme misery due to the tragic events of Corona, the threat of a dengue outbreak in the country has created a poisonous situation. Although nothing worrying has happened this year, fears are beginning to grow.
Dengue affects more or less every year in the country. Especially in Dhaka city its prevalence can be noticed a little more. In the last few years, dengue has taken a deadly form all over the country including Dhaka. However, experts believe that its variant has a contribution to the increase and decrease in the incidence of dengue outbreak. There are four serotypes of dengue, according to a research report conducted by BCSIR. These are- Denv-1, Denv-2, Denv-3 and Denv-4. Denv-3 is more acute than the first two. It was identified in the country in 2017. A dengue outbreak appeared in large numbers in the country in 2000. A total of 5,551 people were infected with dengue and 93 people died in that year. The number of Denv-3 cases started increasing in 2018 and finally in 2019 it became epidemic. But a few times more horrible sizes appeared in 2019. According to the government, 101,354 people were infected in that year and 179 people died. Although the death toll in the private sector was about 300. The worst attacks and deaths in history occurred that year. And most of the attacks and deaths occur in Dhaka. Dhaka accounted for half of the total number of people infected with dengue and the death rate here was 77 per cent of the total deaths in the country.
According to the World Health Organization, half of the world’s population is at risk of contracting dengue at this time. And 300 to 400 million people are infected with dengue every year. The matter is worrying, more so for Bangladesh. Experts believe that the causes of hemorrhagic dengue are due to unprecedented population growth, increased travel, lack of mosquito control and deteriorating public health infrastructure. Moreover, unplanned and uncontrolled urbanization, lack of proper waste management system, unhygienic conditions etc. are some of the other prime reasons for the rise of Aedes mosquitoes. A study by the World Bank has revealed that climate change is also increasing the incidence of dengue in Bangladesh. The study says that the difference between one season to another is disappearing in Bangladesh due to the impact of climate change. As a result, seasonal weather variations are gradually disappearing. Every year the summer time is increasing little by little. With that, the extent of the rainy season is increasing. The monsoon season is getting longer due to an increase in average rainfall in September and October. Moreover, the average rainfall is declining in the June-August season, when it used to rain the most. Rainfall was also at the root of the horrific form of dengue in 2019. The World Bank says there was heavy rain in Dhaka in February of that year. As a result, favourable temperature and humidity in the following months contributed to the widespread of dengue. B.N Nagpal, a senior entomologist at the World Health Organization (WHO) said that numerous projects under construction in Dhaka are also one of the areas where Aedes mosquitoes are produced. According to him, if mosquito breeding grounds could be destroyed in the construction project area, it would be possible to reduce the incidence of dengue by 40 percent. Anyway whatever the experts say, our lack of awareness and dirtiness are the main reasons for the rise of Aedes mosquitoes. That is why there is no alternative to increase our awareness to prevent the spread of dengue.
The breeding season of Aedes mosquitoes is usually from June to September. At this time water accumulates due to rain and Aedes mosquitoes breed in that water. So there is no alternative to stopping mosquitoes breeding and eradicating mosquitoes to protect against dengue. Proper care should be taken so that water does not accumulate anywhere around our house. All types of coconut shells, old tires, empty packets of chips, water that has accumulated on the roof, etc. must be removed on our own initiative. The people involved in the construction should take responsibility so that the mosquitoes do not breed in the accumulated water. The city corporation needs to be more vigilant so that water does not accumulate in the vicinity of roads, drains and sewers and take sustainable and effective measures to prevent dengue.
Besides, for the eradication of dengue, it is necessary to formulate a proper and orderly plan and its proper implementation. At one time the incidence of malaria in the country was very high. Mosquitoes are also carriers of it. That malaria has come under control to work according to a proper plan. Just as other mosquito and mosquito-borne diseases have been brought under control through effective measures, similar measures have to be taken to control Aedes mosquitoes. Dengue has created a terrible situation in the Corona crisis. In this situation, only public awareness and proper action can save us from the grip of dengue.
(The writer is Lecturer, Department of Social Work, Savar
Government College).
