Mosquito-borne diseases like West Nile and Zika are fast spreading in Bangladesh after dengue, chikungunya, malaria, filarial, kala-azar and other viral diseases.
Experts met in Dhaka on Saturday to discuss how the country has no comprehensive system in place to tackle the vectors in future, New Age Bangladesh reported.
The talk seminar was organized in the country’s capital, by the Centre for Governance Studies. Titled ‘Vector problems in Bangladesh: An integrated approach’, the seminar was organized at the BIISS auditorium. The experts discussed on how the nation is vulnerable to outbreaks of vector-borne diseases. Despite this, the mosquito control programmes, run by different entities under the ministries of health and local government, are all in an uncoordinated manner.
Experts expressed fears of Bangladesh being exposed to severe vector-borne diseases in the coming days. According to them, given the present condition, the possibility of occurrence of other mosquito-borne diseases like Zika and West Nile Virus could not be ruled out.
Entomologist and CGS vice-chairman Manjur Ahmed Chowdhury, one of the speakers, mentioned in his keynote paper that the country needs an integrated vector management programme to control and stamp out the vectors. He feels that while the health ministry should control malaria and kala-azar, which happen mostly in rural areas, city authorities should control mosquitoes in urban areas where dengue and chikungunya becomes causes of concern.
Another speaker, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University former vice-chancellor Kamrul Hasan Khan, mentioned that the information disseminated by the health ministry and city authorities about dengue lacked clarity, which resulted in dengue outbreak.
Other speakers at the seminar included Zoology professor at Jahangirnagar University Kabirul Bashar and scientist Shafiul Alam Sujon. They focused on the necessity of the mosquito control measures.
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