Dengue menace alarming but not out of control: WHO

World Health Organization (WHO) expressed its willingness to work jointly with Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) to control dengue prevalence.

“The dengue menace is alarming but it is not out of control. WHO and DSCC will work together to control it,” WHO Acting Country Representative Edwin Salvador told journalists after a meeting with DSCC Mayor Sayeed Khokon.

Led by Salvador, a four-member WHO delegation attended the meeting.

The dengue hazard in Bangladesh is under control compared to the Philippines, Thailand and Indonesia, the WHO acting country representative observed, adding that everybody should work together, cautiously, to keep the situation normal.

DSCC Mayor Sayeed Khokon urged city dwellers to remain alert and not to panic and said, “Aedes mosquitoes are born in transparent water, not in drains or dirty water. So there is no alternative to awareness about this”.

“We have destroyed the sources of Aedes mosquitoes in 33,000 houses in the city in February last and taught the owners how to destroy them. Regrettably we find the same situation prevailing when we revisit the houses,” he added.

Replying to a query about use of expired and ineffective medicine to control mosquitoes in the city, the DSCC mayor said, “We use medicine supplied by Bangladesh Navy. We will look into whether there’s any problem with it”.

WHO Team Leader for Health Emergencies Dr Hammam El Sakka, Dr Rajendra Bohara of its IVD Immunization and Vaccine Development Unit and Dhaka Divisional Coordinator Dr Md Jahangir Alam, and DSCC Chief Executive Officer Mustafizur Rahman were, among others, present at the meeting.