Two six-member committees consisting of experts have been formed for Dhaka South and North City Corporation by the local government department to prevent dengue this season. Three experts have been appointed as members of the committee consisting of administrators in two city corporations as convener and chief executive officer as member secretary. Also, the Chief Health Officers of the City Corporations have been made members of the committee.
Professor Dr. Mohammad Golam Charwar of National Institute of Preventive and Social Medicine (NIPSM), Shere Bangla Agricultural University will work as an expert member in Dhaka North City Corporation. Chairman of the Department of Entomology Professor Dr. Md. Rashedul Islam and entomologist Md. Rezaul Karim. Dhaka University Zoology Department Professor will work for Dhaka South City Corporation in the other committee. Shefali Begum, Entomologist of Dhaka University. Tanzin Akter and Professor of Zoology. Mohammad Feroz Zaman.
Today (Monday) at noon in the local government department conference room at the secretariat The decision to form this committee was taken at the meeting held to take effective measures to prevent dengue and mosquito-borne diseases. Under the chairmanship of local government department secretary Abu Hena Morshed Zaman, the meeting was attended as the chief guest by the adviser of the ministry of local government, rural development and cooperatives. F. Hasan Arif.
In the speech of the chief guest. F Hasan Arif said that short and long term plans should be adopted to deal with the dengue situation across the country. Expert opinion should be preferred in both the plans. We are now in the super peak season of dengue conditions. I hope that the committee consisting of experts will play an effective role in the two Dhaka North and South City Corporations to deal with this situation.
According to the information given in the meeting, Dhaka North and South City Corporation visited 2 lakh 17 thousand 648 places from August to September this year with the aim of implementing mosquito breeding, larvae and mosquito extermination activities to protect citizens from dengue infection in Dhaka. Larvae were found in 7 thousand 195 spots in the visited places. Breeding sites have been destroyed and larvicide sprayed at 2 lakh 73 thousand 538 spots. 37 thousand 505 novaluron tablets have been used for mosquito control.
In the meeting, as part of the short and long term plan to deal with dengue, the experts said that instead of taking average activities, mosquito control programs should be identified and hotspots should be taken to control dengue. Not only seasonally, but throughout the year mosquito control activities should be carried out. Entomologists should assess whether mosquito and larval extermination has actually occurred in areas where mosquito control activities have been carried out. There is need for inter-ministerial coordination including the two city corporations. Dengue affected patients should be admitted to the hospital with doctor’s advice in the beginning. Above all, public awareness should be increased.
The meeting was attended by all city corporation administrators, chief executive officers, managing directors of Dhaka Wasa and senior officials of local government departments along with experts.
