Don’t dally on dengue, please

Last year’s dengue epidemic, which broke all records with more than 1,700 reported deaths, was certainly the worst that Bangladesh has ever seen. Dengue has unfortunately too often been treated as more of a nuisance despite its potential as a public health disaster as we witnessed last year, and it is this exact attitude which has allowed this disease to claim innumerable lives in the past.

Despite the disease’s seasonal nature, Bangladesh has already recorded 29 deaths this year, while a total of 2,391 dengue cases have been reported since January 1, according to the Directorate General of Health Services.
With the nation already witnessing intermittent rainfall, it is high time that the government started bolstering its measures to prevent a calamity similar to that of last year from reoccurring. And time is indeed of the essence as experts have pointed out that the spread of dengue, unless contained with the appropriate measures in a realistic time frame, can be even deadlier this year judging by the recent upward trend. Measures such as the search-and-destroy model accompanied by entomologists targetting the dengue-causing Aedes mosquito is one of the best ways to keep the tide from rising, reportedly.
When it comes to a disease as swift and virulent as dengue, careful and decisive action is the best way to deal with it. While the brunt of the responsibility is indeed upon the administration, it also behooves the general public to be aware of how the disease is allowed to spread and actively participate in efforts to eradicate mosquito breeding sites, reports DT.
The government needs to prioritize dengue before it gets out of hand. We cannot afford to relive the disaster we witnessed last year.