Control aedes mosquito to prevent dengue

This year, 182 dengue patients from some areas of the city, including Kalabagan, Dhanmondi, Kathalbagan, Hatirpul, Khilgaon, Shahjahanpur, Azimpur and Shukrabad, were admitted to different hospitals, said Mayor Sadeque Hossain Khoka who presided over the meeting.

Health Minister Dr Khandaker Mosharaf Hossain urged all to clean up their homesteads and destroy the aedes mosquito breeding grounds.

Following the newspaper reports on the prevalence of dengue in the capital in this season, the Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) organised the meeting to find out ways to control the menace.

Asaduzzaman Noor MP, Khandakar Mahbub Uddin MP and Mozaffar Hossain Paltu, Editor of the Prothom Alo Matiur Rahman, Dr MR Khan, Dr Zafarullah Chowdhury, litterateur Imdadul Haq Milon, actress Kabari Sarwar, actor Ilyas Kanchan, director Chashi Nazrul Islam and Fatema Tuz Zohra took part in the meeting.

The people used to be panicky about dengue but nowadays they are not, as the government has taken awareness programme about the disease, said the health minister.

However, the people should be more careful and help the government organisations, including the city corporation, in their efforts to control aedes mosquito, he added.

"We have identified the aedes mosquito-infested areas and are planning to conduct a massive drive to eliminate the dengue virus carrier," said Mayor Khoka.

"Aedes does not know Awami League or BNP supporters. They bite all. So we have to work together to control them," he added.

Asaduzzaman Noor assured the mayor that he would help the city corporation by sending some drama activists to different areas to raise awareness among the people about dengue through their performance.

Prathom Alo Editor Matiur Rahman said he would help the city corporation through media campaign on dengue and aedes mosquito.