Why Our Dengue Defence Keeps Crumbling

If dengue cases continue to rise despite a nationwide prevention campaign, we must ask whether our efforts are working at all. The latest figures are deeply concerning. According to Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) data, weekly hospital admissions rose from 8,088 in the first week of September to 12,630 in the first week of October �" a sharp increase of more than 56 per cent. And by October 9, more than 95,000 people had been hospitalised and nearly 300 had died. These are alarming figures, and it demands concrete action rather than more official statements and frequent promises from our policymakers.

Much of the problem lies in the gap between what authorities announce and what actually happens. The government launched a three-month dengue prevention and cleanliness drive on September 12, yet the disease has spread to all 64 districts. City corporations carry out mosquito-control activities, but many rural areas receive far less attention. National guidelines also assign duties to committees at the union, upazila and district levels, yet officials say many remain inactive. If the authorities responsible for prevention are not doing their jobs, how can a national campaign succeed? Those responsible must therefore address this failure instead of relying on announcements that offer little reassurance to the public.

The consequences are already visible in hospitals, where nearly 2,000 patients were admitted daily during the four days before the latest report. A further rise in infections could put even more pressure on healthcare facilities, particularly rural hospitals with limited resources. Experts have also warned that weather conditions and high Aedes mosquito density could sustain transmission through October and possibly into November. For patients and their families, this means more uncertainty, treatment costs and fear. Waiting until hospitals struggle to cope would only make matters worse.

At the same time, dengue prevention must begin at home and in our neighbourhoods. Stagnant water in rooftops, flowerpots, construction sites and discarded containers gives mosquitoes places to breed. These are often easy to overlook, but leaving them unattended can have serious consequences. Residents should regularly check their surroundings and remove standing water. However, people cannot do the job alone. Authorities must inspect high-risk areas, clear breeding grounds, improve waste management and ensure that local committees remain active. Public cooperation and effective enforcement must go hand in hand.

We expect the government to treat dengue prevention as a year-round responsibility, not a campaign that gathers momentum only when cases surge. Local authorities must extend their efforts to rural communities, strengthen surveillance and prepare hospitals for more patients. Citizens, too, must do their part. Ultimately, the success of these efforts will depend on whether infections and deaths fall, not on how many campaigns are announced. We already know what needs to be done. What we need now is the determination to do it consistently and hold those responsible to account. Without them, our dengue defence will continue to crumble, and more lives will remain at risk.