Growing concern over dengue

Dengue fever is back again in full swing in the capital. According to the Directorate General of Health Services, 347 people were infected in two months in 2018, but this year, 1,864 people got infected between May and June and three patients have already died.

The densely populated metropolis of Dhaka, consisting of more than 18 million people, is the second least liveable city in the world. Cleanliness is not a priority when it comes to maintaining our communities. People frequently spit right and left on the streets, they urinate wherever they find suitable, construction materials are kept out in the open for months on end—all these are perfect breeding grounds for dengue mosquitoes.

Dhaka is growing in an unplanned manner—in every way possible. Last year, there was an outbreak of Chikunguniya. This year it is dengue. Preventing dengue in Dhaka will require more fierce steps from the authorities. The city corporations and WHO have deemed the situation as “alarming” but not out of control. However, the growing number of those infected clearly suggests otherwise.