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Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Minister Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Wednesday underscored the importance of public awareness in preventing dengue and other mosquito-borne diseases, calling for stronger nationwide awareness campaigns, particularly through digital platforms, to curb the spread of infections.
“There is no alternative to public awareness. At the same time, online awareness campaigns must be intensified so that people take preventive measures against dengue and other mosquito-borne diseases,” he said while addressing a workshop on the Insights Dissemination of the Improvement of Urban Public Health Preventive Services Project (IUPHPSP) at Hotel Sonargaon in Dhaka.
The minister said the national committee on mosquito-borne disease prevention has already held its inaugural meeting and is actively working to strengthen the country’s preparedness and response against dengue and other vector-borne illnesses.
Expressing optimism about the project’s impact, Fakhrul Islam said the Improvement of Urban Public Health Preventive Services Project would play an important role in enhancing disease surveillance, preventive measures and public health management in urban areas.
Despite ongoing mosquito control drives by local authorities, he noted that mosquito larvae continue to be detected in various parts of the country, indicating that public participation remains essential in eliminating breeding grounds.
“Various initiatives are being implemented, yet larvae are still being found in different places. Without greater public awareness and active community participation, it will be difficult to effectively control the situation,” he said.
The minister also said the Prime Minister places the highest priority on public health, environmental cleanliness and disease prevention as part of the vision of building a clean, healthy and beautiful Bangladesh.
“Under the Prime Minister’s leadership, we will continue our collective efforts to achieve that goal,” he added.
Speakers at the workshop said the Improvement of Urban Public Health Preventive Services Project, being implemented by the Local Government Division (LGD) with financial support from the World Bank, is designed to strengthen disease prevention capacity and improve public health management across urban areas.
The project aims to expand preventive public health services, improve disease surveillance systems and establish more effective mechanisms to combat dengue and other communicable diseases in cities.
Among those attending the workshop were Dr Shahadat Hossain, Mayor of Chattogram City Corporation; Dhaka North City Corporation Administrator Shafiqul Islam Khan; Director General of the Monitoring, Evaluation and Inspection Wing of the Finance and Planning Ministry Mahmudul Hasan; Project Director of the IUPHPSP Abul Khayer Mohammad Hafizullah Khan; and senior government officials and public health experts.
