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Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has directed the authorities to intensify nationwide cleanliness and public awareness campaigns involving local communities to prevent the spread of dengue.
He gave the directives at a meeting on the dengue situation and measures to contain the disease at the Bangladesh Secretariat on Sunday (September 6).
At the meeting, the prime minister stressed increasing public participation in dengue prevention instead of relying solely on government agencies. He called for greater awareness about keeping homes and surrounding areas clean, removing stagnant water, clearing garbage and preventing the creation of mosquito breeding grounds.
Tarique Rahman also directed the authorities to involve disaster management volunteers, Bangladesh National Cadet Corps (BNCC), Rover Scouts and Red Crescent volunteers in cleanliness and awareness campaigns. He said they should engage local communities in cleanliness drives at the grassroots level.
The meeting also discussed strengthening treatment facilities and patient management capacity at upazila-level hospitals for dengue patients. The provision of mosquito nets for hospitalised dengue patients was also discussed to reduce the risk of transmission by mosquitoes that bite infected patients.
Emphasising the implementation of decisions taken at the meeting, the prime minister said, “There must be visible results on the ground.”
Stressing that prevention should receive the highest priority in combating dengue, he instructed the relevant authorities to work in coordination. He also emphasised launching extensive awareness campaigns to ensure greater public participation in cleanliness drives.
Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Minister Dr Abdul Moin Khan, State Minister Mir Shah Alam, Health and Family Welfare State Minister MA Muhit, Prime Minister’s Special Assistant for Health Dr SM Ziauddin Haider, Dhaka South City Corporation Administrator Abdus Salam, Prime Minister’s Special Assistant Shakirul Islam Khan, and secretaries and senior officials from the relevant ministries and departments attended the meeting.
