UNB, Dhaka :
Dhaka South City Corporation Mayor Syed Khokon expects to bring the chikungunya outbreak in the capital under control in the next 4-6 weeks, as the city corporation continues its campaign to eradicate or at least significantly lower the population of the dreaded aedes mosquito responsible for spreading the disease, as well as others, amongst humans.
“Chikungunya outbreak is now easing. As we’ve continued our work to check the spread of chikungunya in Dhaka, we hope the disease will be brought under control within the next four-six weeks,” Khokon said Monday, while attending a meeting of government agencies involved in fighting chikungunya chaired by Health Minister Mohammed Nasim at the Secretariat.
Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) Director General Dr Abul Kalam Azad and high officials of the two Dhaka city corporations were present in the meeting.
“As we had no prior conception about the disease, it is taking more time to destroy the outbreak. We hope that in future we will be better prepared to prevent any outbreak in the first place,” Khokon said.
He said the city corporation increased manpower and medicine to prevent chikungunya
virus transmitter mosquitoes from breeding, or to exterminate them, adding that their budget is being boosted in this regard. DGHS DG Dr Abul Kalam Azad said the number of patients afflicted by the Chikungunya virus has come down, but people must still be careful till September, the end of the monsoon rains that present ideal conditions for the disease to spread.
The disease, however, has spread rapidly in Dhaka following rains over the last couple of months.
Meanwhile, the DGHS identified 50 areas of DSCC and Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) as riskiest for spreading Chikungunya disease following a survey carried out from June 1 to 5 last, he said.
They also held many Chikungunya awareness rallies in 45 wards of the two city corporations along with mosque imams, doctors, nurse and ward councillors and such initiatives will continue, said the DG.
In the meeting, Health Minister Nasim said his ministry arranged a massive chikungunya awareness campaign where nearly 10,000 students of medical and dental colleges and health technology institutes took part across all 93 wards of Dhaka city corporations over the last month.
The ministry will organize two more campaigns in the coming two months (July and August) on the same issue, Nasim said.
Dhaka South City Corporation Mayor Syed Khokon expects to bring the chikungunya outbreak in the capital under control in the next 4-6 weeks, as the city corporation continues its campaign to eradicate or at least significantly lower the population of the dreaded aedes mosquito responsible for spreading the disease, as well as others, amongst humans.
“Chikungunya outbreak is now easing. As we’ve continued our work to check the spread of chikungunya in Dhaka, we hope the disease will be brought under control within the next four-six weeks,” Khokon said Monday, while attending a meeting of government agencies involved in fighting chikungunya chaired by Health Minister Mohammed Nasim at the Secretariat.
Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) Director General Dr Abul Kalam Azad and high officials of the two Dhaka city corporations were present in the meeting.
“As we had no prior conception about the disease, it is taking more time to destroy the outbreak. We hope that in future we will be better prepared to prevent any outbreak in the first place,” Khokon said.
He said the city corporation increased manpower and medicine to prevent chikungunya
virus transmitter mosquitoes from breeding, or to exterminate them, adding that their budget is being boosted in this regard. DGHS DG Dr Abul Kalam Azad said the number of patients afflicted by the Chikungunya virus has come down, but people must still be careful till September, the end of the monsoon rains that present ideal conditions for the disease to spread.
The disease, however, has spread rapidly in Dhaka following rains over the last couple of months.
Meanwhile, the DGHS identified 50 areas of DSCC and Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) as riskiest for spreading Chikungunya disease following a survey carried out from June 1 to 5 last, he said.
They also held many Chikungunya awareness rallies in 45 wards of the two city corporations along with mosque imams, doctors, nurse and ward councillors and such initiatives will continue, said the DG.
In the meeting, Health Minister Nasim said his ministry arranged a massive chikungunya awareness campaign where nearly 10,000 students of medical and dental colleges and health technology institutes took part across all 93 wards of Dhaka city corporations over the last month.
The ministry will organize two more campaigns in the coming two months (July and August) on the same issue, Nasim said.
