Dengue Outbreak: WHO issues ‘high risk’ alert

The World Health Organization on Friday labelled the dengue outbreak in the country as "high risk", while 14 more people died and 2,432 new patients were hospitalised yesterday.

In anunprecedented alert issued concerning the situation in Bangladesh, the UN body has urged immediate measures to control the Aedes mosquito and alleviate the disease's impact.

With the latest count, the current number of dengue cases recorded has reached 82,506, putting additional pressure on medical facilities and intensifying the demand for injectable saline and other drugs.

Meanwhile, the total number of fatalities has reached 387.

In this context, Health and Family Welfare Minister Zahid Maleque said that instructions have been given to import saline, if necessary, as the dengue cases have increased tenfold in the country.

According to Maleque, the daily requirement for injectable saline has shot up to 40,000 bags per day, meaning 12 lakh bags per month.

"However, not all pharmaceutical companies are currently capable of producing such a substantial amount of saline … That is why instructions have been given, if necessary, to import saline from abroad."

Injectable saline solution, an essential fluid used for treating dengue patients, has become scarce in retail drug stores in Dhaka due to the high demand.

Directorate General of Drug Administration (DGDA) officials said they would sit with the pharmaceuticals and importers in this regard.

"Local companies are still meeting the entire demand; they said they would be able to fulfil nearly the entire demand [in the future]. But we are preparing for imports and boost the stock [to tackle future needs] if dengue cases rise further," Maj Gen Mohammad Yousuf, director general of the DGDA, told The Daily Star yesterday.

WHO'S ASSESSMENT

The WHO's assessment of Bangladesh's dengue situation was published on its website under the "Disease Outbreak News" category on Friday.

The organisation has called for efforts to control the mosquito vector population and minimise individual exposure by using mosquito repellents and wearing long-sleeved clothes.

The outbreak, which has escalated rapidly since late June, has seen a total of 80,074 confirmed cases and 373 related deaths between January 1 and August 11, according to the UN health agency. The cases were reported from all 64 districts in the country.

In July alone, 43,854 cases and 204 deaths were reported, accounting for 63 percent of the total cases and 62 percent of the deaths. The sharp increase in numbers, compared to the past five years, emphasises the gravity of the ongoing outbreak.

"The higher incidence of dengue is taking place in the context of an unusual episodic amount of rainfall, combined with high temperatures and high humidity, which have resulted in an increased mosquito population throughout Bangladesh," WHO said.

It called for integrated vector management to control mosquito populations and reduce human-vector contact, including removal of potential breeding sites, reducing vector populations, and minimising individual exposure.

Specific actions involve vector control strategies for larvae and adult mosquitoes and source reduction, especially of water storage practices, and include covering, draining and cleaning household water storage containers on a weekly basis, using insecticide-treated nets and indoor space spraying (fogging).

Experts, meanwhile, said that the WHO's news on the outbreak highlights the urgency for policymakers to act more proactively.

"This is the first time WHO has issued an alert regarding dengue in Bangladesh. There is a message for the policymakers in the alert. It highlights the need for a coordinated and multi-sectoral immediate approach," Dr Mahmudur Rahman, former director at the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research, told The Daily Star yesterday.

He added that the measures taken by different government bodies are not adequate or effective enough.

The health expert urged the government to arrange emergency funds for research and arrange other preventive measures to control the outbreak.