Dengue has been a yearly scourge for Bangladesh, with the outbreak last year among the deadliest. In the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, there were genuine fears that a major dengue outbreak this year would be catastrophic for Bangladesh, particularly after a worrying January which saw a spike in dengue infections.
To that end, it is extremely heartening to see that, for the most part, dengue has not had any significant impact on Bangladesh, particularly in comparison to last year. In the month of August this year, only 67 cases were recorded this year, compared to an astonishing 52,636 cases last year.
There have been no deaths recorded this year as well, while 164 people died last year. This turnaround is truly remarkable, and as per experts, has only been possible as a result of a concerted effort. Not only were the city corporations pro-active in executing their dengue prevention plans, but citizen intervention and awareness have played a major role in curbing dengue, in particular, the role played by urban populations.
This concerted effort, led equally by the authorities and citizens alike, must become the blueprint moving forward in tackling dengue for the future. Dengue is not going away from Bangladesh, and it is up to everyone in the country to do their part and ensure we never see the kind of devastation it managed to cause in 2019.
The year 2020 will forever be remembered for the devastation caused by Covid-19, and how it completely changed the way we live our lives. However, Bangladesh should certainly be proud that, despite forecasts saying otherwise, its plans to stop dengue from causing further devastation were successful.
