Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) Mayor Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh on Tuesday called for involving the building owners' associations in anti-mosquito drives.
Taposh made the remarks at a meeting on “Monitoring Mosquito Control Activities for Dengue Prevention in Field Level” with the councillors of the general reserved seats of DSCC, the regional executive officers, the officials and employees involved with mosquito control activities.
"Talk to the association, which owns the flat-apartment building. The association has a president-general secretary. Request them to allow our mosquito workers to enter their backyards, their homes because we are monitoring," said Taposh.
Water gathers in the gap between two buildings. They need to be sprayed with pesticides. Aedes mosquitoes can spread and reproduce in two to three days in accumulated rainwater. Water on the roof cornice and many places should be cleaned regularly, he said, adding: "Clearwater in different parts of the house, various materials, wheels, discarded plastic bottles and containers are the breeding grounds of mosquitoes."
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The DSCC mayor also said that a mobile court is being set up to control mosquitoes.
"The dengue outbreak is on the rise again. We are seeing many patients being admitted to the hospitals. So we need to increase our supervision in the wards. Under your (councillors) leadership, we will be successful again like last time," he added.
Addressing the women councillors, Taposh said: "You have the opportunity to move freely in different houses. There are flower pots and roof gardens in many buildings. We have to carry out this mosquito control activity even in the yard and the roof of the house."
Taposh also thanked the councillors, regional executive officers, mosquito supervisors and mosquito workers for conducting the mosquito control activities.
Nagar Bhaban Corporation's Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Farid Ahmed, Chief Health Officer Brigadier General Dr Sharif Ahmed, Secretary Akramuzzaman and others were also present at the meeting.
Rise in Dengue cases
Amid a gradual spike in dengue cases during monsoon, Bangladesh reported 32 new cases in the last 24 hours to Tuesday morning.
The recent spike in dengue cases has become a cause of concern when the country continues to grapple with the devastating second wave of the coronavirus pandemic.
A total of 124 patients diagnosed with dengue are currently receiving treatment at different government and private hospitals across the country as of Monday morning, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
Thirty-two new patients were admitted to different hospitals in Dhaka in 24 hours until Tuesday morning and none was reported to be hospitalized outside Dhaka during the period.
At least 536 patients have been admitted to different hospitals with dengue since January and of them, 412 have been released after recovery.
Health authorities reported 1,193 dengue cases and three confirmed dengue-related deaths in 2020.
According to official figures, 101,354 dengue cases and 179 deaths were recorded in Bangladesh in 2019.
Dengue fever was first reported in Bangladesh in 2000 when it claimed 93 lives. In the following three years, the fatalities almost fell to zero.
However, the mosquito-borne viral infection struck again in 2018, killing 26, and infecting 10,148 people.
