Bangladesh rolls out nationwide initiatives in response to the deadly outbreak of dengue fever

BANGLADESH – Bangladesh’s Ministry of Health and Family Welfare is rolling out countrywide initiatives regarding dengue fever in response to a record-deadly outbreak of the viral disease.

Dengue is a mosquito-borne viral disease that can cause flu-like symptoms, including high fever, severe headache, joint pain, and rash. It is transmitted to humans primarily through the bite of infected Aedes mosquitoes.

Dengue fever is common in South Asia during the June-to-September monsoon season when the Aedes aegypti mosquito that spreads the deadly virus thrives in stagnant water.

When the pre-monsoon rains started in April, so did the Aedes mosquito breeding. Dengue outbreaks are on the rise in Bangladesh following a spell of rains in the past months.

Preventing mosquito bites is the best way to avoid getting dengue since there is no specific treatment, vaccine, or drug for dengue.

To this end, Bangladesh’s Minister of Health and Family Welfare Zahid Maleque said in a press statement that the targeted initiatives seek to limit the spread of mosquito-borne diseases and increase disease awareness campaigns.

Through awareness campaigns, Bangladesh aims to contain the spread of the persistent outbreak of dengue fever, which has left hospitals struggling to make space for patients in the densely-populated country.

Senior officials of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare reported that hospitals are struggling to find space for the large number of patients suffering high fever, joint pain, and vomiting.

The incidence of dengue has grown dramatically around the world in recent decades, with cases reported to the World Health Organization increasing from 505, 430 cases in 2000 to 5.2 million in 2019.

The World Health Organization warned that the largest number of dengue cases ever reported globally was in 2019.

The burden of dengue fever infections is increasing, accounting for 101,000 cases reported in Bangladesh, 131,000 cases in Malaysia, and 420,000 cases in the Philippines and 320, 000 cases in Vietnam in 2019.

In 2023 alone, the deadly outbreak of dengue fever has resulted in a reported 293 deaths around the country, and more than 61,500 people have been identified as having been infected.

This year’s deaths already top the previous record of 281 from last year, with the number of people infected just behind the 62,423 cases in 2022.

High-level representatives of the Bangladeshi Ministry of Health cautioned that the ongoing outbreak is responsible for the death of more people than any other outbreak since the first recorded epidemic in 2000.

The Bangladeshi health authorities observed that Dhaka, the capital and largest city of Bangladesh, is the most-affected region, noting that the hardest-hit region faces hospital congestion.

Moreover, the Bangladeshi experts advised the general public on the importance of early detection and access to proper medical care to avoid transmission, and possibly save lives.

The Bangladeshi health authorities have intensified efforts to control and prevent the transmission of the dengue virus as well as combat vector mosquitoes.

Consequently, careful clinical detection and management of dengue patients can significantly reduce mortality rates from severe dengue.

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