Govt fully prepared to tackle dengue, says health minister
One dengue death reported in 24 hours, raising toll to six this year
The government has taken "all necessary preparations" to combat dengue, Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Md Sakhawat Husain said today (1 June), amid a fresh rise in infections and deaths.
Chairing a meeting on dengue preparedness at the ministry conference room, the minister said the authorities are acting proactively as sporadic dengue cases have already started to appear.
"We do not want to delay action as a few cases are already being reported. We are taking comprehensive preparations to tackle dengue," he said.
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He added that dengue corners are being set up at upazila health complexes, while a field hospital at Dhaka Medical College Hospital campus has been kept ready to treat patients. Additional field hospitals will be established if necessary in other parts of the country.
The minister also said treatment guidelines and training will be provided by the Society of Medicine, with support from Unicef and other organisations. Training for doctors and nurses will begin immediately across seven divisions outside Dhaka and in districts nationwide.
He further said essential supplies, including reagents, testing kits and saline, are already in stock, with decisions taken to ensure adequate supply based on demand.
On vector control measures, the minister said coordination with city corporations began two months ago and further meetings will be held to strengthen efforts. A dengue-focused mobile application and expanded research initiatives were also discussed in the meeting.
Meanwhile, the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) reported that one dengue patient died in the 24 hours till this morning, raising this year's death toll to six. The deceased was a boy aged between 11 and 15 years.
During the same period, 110 new patients were hospitalised across the country.
Of them, 35 were reported from Barishal division, 21 from Khulna, 15 from Dhaka, 12 from Chattogram, eight from Mymensingh, five from Rajshahi, and one from Sylhet division. In Dhaka city, 12 patients were admitted under Dhaka South City Corporation and one under Dhaka North City Corporation.
The DGHS also said 83 patients were discharged in the last 24 hours, taking the total number of recoveries this year to 3,138. Total confirmed dengue cases this year now stand at 3,307.
Bangladesh typically sees dengue outbreaks during the monsoon season, with a significant rise between May and September. The country recorded major surges in 2019, and again in 2022 and 2023, when infections and deaths exceeded previous records. In 2024, Bangladesh reported 1,01,214 dengue cases and 575 deaths.
