Almost inevitably, the dengue menace has reared its ugly head once again, with vernacular daily Prothom Alo reporting an alarming spike in dengue cases recorded in June, based on official data. A total of 4,345 people were infected with dengue across the country from January to May this year. But in June alone, more people contracted the mosquito-borne disease, with 5,804 cases reported - the second worst June on record. It just goes to show that with the monsoon here, there is no escaping this deadly tropical disease, that has been endemic in Bangladesh since the year 2000.
In June, rainfall was below normal while humidity remained high. Public health experts and entomologists believe these conditions contributed to the spread of the Aedes mosquitoes that are the dengue vector. The same experts are in favour of declaring dengue a 'public health emergency' without delay, and we can only endorse this position. This would not only mean acknowledging the gravity of the situation, but also send a proper signal to the people. It would allow for better mobilisation of resources, central coordination, and a quicker, more unified response.
In keeping with a trend that started in 2019, when the first outbreaks outside Dhaka were reported, this year more and more of the cases have been reported from outside Dhaka. That is perhaps why it is all going somewhat under the radar. As of Tuesday, July 1, a total of 10,682 people have been reportedly infected with dengue this year, while 43 of them have died. Almost half the deaths occurred in June.
Around 75 percent of infections have occurred outside Dhaka - with Barishal, Patuakhali, Cumilla, Chattogram, Chapainawabganj, and Cox's Bazar among the worst-affected districts. Previously we have noted the alarming situation this year in Barguna, which still accounts for almost the same number of cases as Dhaka, with a much lower population.
Going forward, the government must establish an integrated vector management system, that includes round-the-year monitoring of Aedes mosquitoes and sentinel surveillance, that would enable targeted and most importantly, proactive actions. Unfortunately, even after 25 years, almost every year the government, irrespective of who is in power, is left playing catch up after the situation has already deteriorated beyond a certain point. It is difficult to believe that we have failed to formulate a national vector control policy against the dengue vector, even after all these years. The interim government, it was hoped, would set some markers in terms of governance in some areas, and managing the dengue outbreak this year would have been one of those areas. But we also know that the Health Ministry has been one of the most lackadaisical performing ministries throughout its tenure, with various complaints targeting the adviser, Nurjahan Begum, for her lack of initiative and questioning her suitability for the role. With a dengue outbreak of epic proportions increasingly likely, she is about to be tested more than ever. Considering the number of lives at stake, the chief adviser may be well advised to reconsider her position, even as the interim government's tenure may be drawing to a close.
