Despite a temporary increase in the number of dengue patients, Dhaka’s two city corporations are working relentlessly to reduce the existence of the Aedes mosquito, a carrier of the disease and the two city corporations hope that the prevalence of Aedes in the capital will soon reduce.
Two city corporations in the capital along with other local government bodies in the country, are conducting extensive activities to protect the city-dwellers from dengue, chikungunya and Culex mosquitoes amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) and Dhaka South City South Corporation (DSCC) are conducting various activities, including mobile courts, to destroy dengue carrier Aedes mosquito larvae and mosquito breeding grounds.
Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) Mayor Atiqul Islam said the impact of global climate change, such as unseasonal intermittent rains and high temperatures, has led to sudden outbreaks of dengue in the city.
Although the number of patients in the North City Corporation area is small, the concerned authorities have taken the issue very seriously and taken effective steps to this end, he added.
“We have already collected the addresses of the dengue patients in the areas that are under the jurisdiction of the North City Corporation from the Health Directorate and conducted special cleanliness and mosquito eradication operations within a radius of 400 yards of those houses with the Rapid Action Team,” he said.
He said the special cleaning and mosquito eradication campaigns were conducted around the hospitals which have dengue patients and the data collection of dengue patients in the area under the jurisdiction of North City Corporation is continuing through constant communication with the Health Directorate.
“From today (November 02), a special 10-day mosquito eradication campaign will be conducted in 54 wards of North City Corporation. During this time cleaning and mosquito eradication as well as mobile court will be conducted. A list of all the houses or installations where Aedes mosquito larvae were found in the combing operations that were conducted in the last few days is stored in the apps of North City Corporation,” Atiqul continued.
He announced that next time a combing operation will be conducted on that list and legal action will be taken against anyone found with Aedes mosquito larvae around their houses.
Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) has started using a fourth generation larvicide, Novaluron in mosquito control.
DNCC is the first and so far the only company to use this affordable, environmental friendly and effective larvicide Novaluron in Bangladesh as it is effective for two to three months once used.
A total of 40 health centers in the areas under the North City Corporation have the facility of testing dengue free of cost.
The addresses of the centers have been published in print and electronic media.
Anyone can get free dengue test at all these centers if they wish.
The mayor said the Aedes mosquito, a carrier of the dengue fever virus, spreads to homes and stagnant water in and around homes.
He advised all to keep the interior and surroundings of their house clean and discard the stagnant water once in three days.
He firmly hoped that if all work together, the city will be freed of dengue as soon as possible.
So far this year, 4,05,550 houses or installations have been inspected through combing operations and Aedes larvae have been found at 2,686 houses.
North City Corporation has so far imposed fine of Taka 58 lakh 16 thousand 810 through the mobile courts for finding Aedes larvae.
Meanwhile, after taking charge on May 16, Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) Mayor Barrister Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh took the initiative to streamline the traditional mosquito extermination and cleaning activities from top to bottom.
DSCC Mayor Taposh said DSCC will conduct year-long activities in 75 wards of the city to eradicate mosquitoes and mobile courts will also be conducted there.
According to the plan of Mayor Taposh, eight mosquito workers in each ward are spraying larvicide from 9 am to 1 pm.
On the other hand, a crew consisting 10 workers per ward carry out fogging activities from 2.30 pm to 6.30 pm and ward councilors are directly involved in this work.
The mayor expressed hope that mosquito breeding would greatly reduce if these activities were carried out properly.
“We do not want the city dwellers to be infected with dengue or chikungunya,” he said.
That is why mosquito eradication activities have been accelerated even in the midst of this Covid-19 epidemic and this will continue for 24 hours, the mayor added.
According to a report by the Health Emergency Operation Center and Control Room of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) on Sunday, 15 dengue patients were admitted to different hospitals in the capital in 24 hours from 8 am on Saturday to 8 am on Sunday.
Health Emergency Operation Center and Control Room Assistant Director Mohammad Kamrul Kibria said that from January 1 to November 1, a total of 642 people were admitted to different hospitals in the country with dengue disease.
Of them, 590 have recovered and returned home safely, he said, adding that at present, 48 patients are admitted in different government and private hospitals of the country.
Of these, 47 are admitted at private hospitals and 41 at government hospitals in the city, he said.
Mohammad Kamrul Kibria said the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR) had sent reports of four suspected dengue deaths this year.
Of these, IEDCR has reviewed 2 deaths and confirmed that 1 death was due to dengue, he added.
