Two separate expert committees, comprising six members each, formed by municipalities due to the increase in dengue cases, were tasked with devising an effective and sustainable solution to prevent this mosquito-borne disease.

“The expert committee held its first meeting two weeks ago and we received some suggestions from them to fight dengue more effectively. We want to use their expertise to find an effective solution to prevent dengue,” said said Md Mahmudul Hasan, Administrator. of Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) and Chairman of its Expert Committee, said today (November 4).

He added that experts have already recommended ensuring use of standard and perfect doses of insecticides and conducting a separate survey on mosquito-borne diseases in collaboration with the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).

Mahmudul said they have already started implementing the recommendations.

The DNCC administrator said they would hold a meeting with the experts in a month or two to get their opinions and this would continue throughout the year.

He said they were continuing their regular larvicide and adulticide operations in the DNCC area twice, morning and afternoon, daily, with 1,000 workers.

Apart from DNCC Administrator Md Mahmudul Hasan, five other members of the expert committee are Dr Md Rashedul Islam, Chairman of the Department of Entomology, Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Professor Golam Sarwar, head of division of the National Institute for Prevention and Social Protection. Medicine (NIPSOM), Md Rezaul Karim, Entomologist, Director of Health, Brigadier General Imru-al-Quais and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Mir Khairul Alam at DNCC.

Dr Fazle Shamsul Kabir, health director of Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC), said they held the first meeting with the expert committee three weeks ago and the experts would present plans to them at short and long term to fight against the city. effectively against dengue-related threats.

“After reviewing the plans, we will put in place elaborate programs to prevent dengue,” he said.

On the most dengue-prone area under the DSCC, he said Demra and Kamrangirchar were the worst-affected areas.

But, he said, measures taken by them alongside regular anti-mosquito campaigns carried out by their 1,050 workers in DNCC areas would reduce the infection rate by three to four percent by a week.

Shamsul said the number of people infected with dengue fever in the DNCC zone is 3,893 and among them, 32 people have died.

He said the number of infected people was five to six times higher than the exact number as major hospitals like Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (DMCH), Sir Salimullah Medical College (formerly Mitford Hospital), Holy Family and the Red Crescent. Mugda Hospital and Hospital come under the jurisdiction of DSCC and people from all over Bangladesh come for treatment at these hospitals.

The other five members of the DSCC expert committee are: DSCC Administrator (Additional Secretary) Md Nazrul Islam, Department of Zoology, University of Dhaka (DU) Prof Dr Mohammad Firoz Alam, Chairman, Department of University Professor Dr Shefali Begum, UD medical entomologist Dr Tanjin Akter and DNCC CEO Md Mizanur Rahman.

The committees were asked to provide follow-up reviews and recommendations through monitoring and evaluation. In addition, the committees were asked to carry out baseline surveys and give advice after checking the dosage of pesticides used, the period of effectiveness and the residual effect.

It would also provide the required suggestions on the quality and effectiveness of pesticides used, selection of safe pesticides, evaluation, determination of sensitivity and advice accordingly after evaluating the correctness of application and applicability of equipment used in existing larvicide and adulticide operations.

The government formed the two expert committees of DNCC and DSCC as part of the special measures to strengthen prevention activities due to the increasing prevalence of dengue following a meeting with directives with the LGRD and cooperative advisor AF Hassan Ariff on September 30. .

This year, the total number of cases rose to 64,471 while 314 deaths due to dengue were reported till November 3, according to a statement from the Directorate General of Health Services.

Last year, the country recorded 1,705 dengue-related deaths, with total infections of 3,21,179 during this period.