Three-month dengue prevention drive to begin Saturday

A three-month nationwide cleanliness and public awareness campaign to prevent dengue will begin on Saturday, with Prime Minister Tarique Rahman scheduled to inaugurate the programme.

The campaign will focus on the next three months, considered a high-risk period for dengue, and the prime minister has urged people to actively participate in the drive.

He gave the directives at a meeting on dengue prevention at the Bangladesh Secretariat on Tuesday.

The prime minister stressed that dengue control should not rely solely on mosquito-control measures and called for greater emphasis on cleanliness and public awareness. Local administrations, voluntary organisations and students will be involved in coordinated field-level activities.

City corporations will coordinate the campaign in metropolitan areas, while deputy commissioners will oversee activities at the district level. Upazila nirbahi officers (UNOs) will coordinate activities at the upazila level.

Volunteers from the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief, scouts, Bangladesh National Cadet Corps (BNCC), Girl Guides, Bangladesh Red Crescent Society and school and college students will take part in the campaign.

Every Saturday, volunteers and students will visit homes and other establishments to conduct cleanliness drives and identify potential breeding grounds for Aedes mosquitoes. They will also raise awareness about keeping homes and surrounding areas clean.

The prime minister also directed authorities to conduct extensive awareness campaigns through the mass media and social media, particularly through television and regular social media messaging on dengue prevention.

He said government efforts must be complemented by active public participation, urging people to keep homes, educational institutions, public and private establishments and surrounding areas clean.

The meeting was attended by Disaster Management and Relief Minister Asadul Habib Dulu, Information and Broadcasting Minister Andalib Rahman Partha, Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives State Minister Mir Shahe Alam, Health and Family Welfare State Minister Dr MA Muhit, Information State Minister Yaser Khan Chowdhury and senior officials concerned.

sks