Let dengue not make the situation worse

The novel coronavirus is affecting more and more lives every day. The number of patients are on the rise while on an average 40 people are dying daily. The total number of deaths has already went past 1,000.

Nobody knows how long this uptrend will continue. Amid such a difficult time, we are threatened by dengue, another pandemic that takes a serious turn this time of the year.

Last year around 100,000 people were attacked by dengue while 179 died as per government data, although private estimation it’s about 300.

Last year, the dengue scenario was worse than 2018 and those issues that led to the crisis are still matters of concern.

The coronavirus crisis has already seen the collapse of our medical system and we wonder what will happen if there is a dengue outbreak.

In Bangladesh, dengue crisis reaches its peak between June and September. Although many contracts the disease at other times as well. This year, a number of patients have already been diagnosed with the disease, too.

According to data released by the health directorate’s Health Emergency Centre and Control Room, from 1 January to 13 June, as many as 311 people were diagnosed with dengue this year. On Thursday, three people were receiving treatment at the hospital for dengue.

Media reports say 69 per cent of the buildings and establishments have an environment suitable for aedes mosquito, which means people in these areas are vulnerable to the disease.

The authorities need to act to address this situation. The city corporations, and the citizens as well, know what steps should be taken. But the city corporations certainly have a bigger responsibility.

They have not been doing things right, the media have reported that many times. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis, they have almost gone idle.

We have always reiterated that killing the mosquito and the larva is no seasonal activity. We need to work the year round, keeping the environment clean so that the mosquitoes cannot breed, and using pesticide so that they die.

Besides, the citizens should ensure that water do not get stored in a pot or any such place in their residences. The authorities need to act to this end, and impose fines when necessary. However, it would be the best if no one needs to be fined.

Raising awareness is a must now. The authorities and the city corporations must act while the people should also act responsible.