DNCC launches '100 in 100' drive to curb dengue disease

DNCC Chief Health Officer Brigadier General Imrul Kayes said the corporation had previously identified dengue-prone areas on a ward-by-ward basis. The data gathered through those efforts has enabled officials to identify high-risk locations more precisely and target control measures more effectively.

Explaining the new initiative, Kayes said the programme has been named “100 in 100.”

“We are deploying 100 volunteers every day, and the programme will continue for 100 days,” he said. “Aligned with the government’s 90-day, or three-month, national programme, 100 volunteers will work at 100 hotspots with the aim of making them 100 percent clear.”

The DNCC is also stepping up public awareness efforts alongside the field campaign. Awareness letters are being prepared for delivery to residents across the city corporation’s jurisdiction.

DNCC Administrator Md Shafiqul Islam Khan said letters signed by him would be delivered to homes and housing societies, as well as educational institutions, government buildings, offices and courts.

Experts say dengue control will remain difficult unless mosquito larvae inside homes and other premises are eliminated, regardless of how extensively insecticides are sprayed outdoors.

Entomologist Kabirul Bashar called for a large-scale drive to destroy Aedes breeding sites, alongside greater community participation.

“The community and the public must be involved in this effort. Everyone must ensure that Aedes mosquitoes have no opportunity to breed in their homes or surrounding areas,” he said.

Authorities and experts say keeping homes and surrounding areas clean and cooperating with mosquito-control workers can be among the most effective ways to curb dengue transmission in Dhaka.