Chattogram City Corporation (CCC) Mayor Freedom Fighter Md Rezaul Karim Chowdhury wants a year-long plan and coordination of government and private institutions to reduce vector-borne diseases including dengue.
He made this demand at a workshop on integrated vector management and knowledge sharing jointly organized by the local government department and the World Bank at a hotel in Dhaka on Wednesday.
CCC mayor said that the most important thing to prevent vector-borne diseases, including dengue, is to plan a year-long program instead of 4-5 months of isolated activities and to coordinate activities among related institutions. There should be a government agency that conducts research on effective insecticides and biological control of Aedes and other vectors.
Claiming that public awareness can be the biggest tool to prevent dengue, the mayor said, as the mayor of Chattogram, I am emphasizing on creating public awareness. Awareness and warning notices are being circulated in local newspapers every few days. Through a joint team of Red Crescent and Urban Volunteers, awareness campaigns are being conducted daily in every ward and 10 important points of the city by distributing leaflets and using hand mics, playing awareness songs in regional languages. Besides, a campaign is being conducted to make the city dwellers aware of dengue prevention through 5 mics.
About the measures taken to control mosquitoes at source, he said, using drones where water is stagnant and larvae are being found, fines are being imposed. Legal action is being taken in case of water accumulation through Executive Magistrate and Special Magistrate.
Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives (LGRD) Minister Md. Tajul Islam was the chief guest in the meeting. Dhaka South City Corporation Mayor Barrister Sheikh Fazle Noor Tapas, Dhaka North City Corporation Mayor Md. Atiqul Islam, Health and Family Welfare Ministry's new secretary of service department Dr. Md. Anwar Hossain Howlader were present as special guests.
Local Government Department Secretary Md. Ibrahim presided over the meeting. World Bank Country Director Abdullaye Sek and a delegation from Singapore's National Environment Agency highlighted the reasons for Singapore's success in preventing vector-borne diseases including dengue and how Bangladesh can benefit from following suit.
CCC Chief Executive Officer Sheikh Muhammad Touhidul Islam, Mayor's Private Secretary and Chief Cleaning Officer Abul Hashem, Health Officer Md Imam Hossain Rana, Malaria and Mosquito Control Officer Sharful Islam Mahi were present in the meeting.
Its known that vector-borne diseases refer to diseases that are transmitted from one body to another through a living carrier. Vector-borne diseases or disease germs are spread from one body to another with the help of a carrier. It can be from a human body to a human body, or from an animal to a human body. Dengue is a vector borne disease. The disease is spread from person to person through the Aedes mosquito.
CCC Mayor is speaking at the workshop on Integrated Vector Management and Knowledge Sharing jointly organized by the Local Government Department and the World Bank.