Country suffers triple whammy

Bangladesh has been grappling with triple whammy when recent outbreaks of dengue and malaria are adding to the woes of the prolonged Covid-19 pandemic which has been devastating not only Bangladesh but also the entire world with showing no sign of abating.   

With yesterday’s 225 deaths, the total fatalities from the Covid related symptoms reached over 17,894 while there were 1,103,989 infection cases including Sunday’s 11,578, according to Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).  The country witnessed a renewed surge in Covid casualties when total death toll during the last 8 days from July 11 to 18 accounted for around 1,705, with an averaging daily deaths hovering over 200.   

Meanwhile, dengue situation worsened when over 68 dengue patients were admitted to various hospitals throughout the country on Sunday and with these patients, the total number of dengue cases stood at 1,207 this year. 

Besides dengue, malaria infected patients have been increasing in the country since January this year, posting a 34 per cent increase in the May-June period than the corresponding period of the last year. Till June this year, 2017 malaria cases were reported with 1,422 from Bandarban alone.

A total of 835 dengue infected people was reported from July 1 till yesterday, which indicates a fast-rising trend of the disease. In June, 272 were infected while in May, 43 were infected.

Though most of the dengue patients who were hospitalized have so far been released, 326 of them are still undergoing treatment at hospitals in Dhaka, and four outside the capital, the DGHS data shows.

Amid surge is dengue patients, DGHS has warned that the country’s dengue situation could worsen further. DGHS spokesman and line director, Prof. Dr. Nazmul Islam on Sunday expressed his deep concern regarding dengue, at a regular heath bulletin on coronavirus.

He said, “Coronavirus situation in the country is on the rise now. If the dengue situation deteriorates, it will be difficult for us to handle it.”

The situation would continue to deteriorate if those responsible for mosquito control across the country do not try their best by all means, Dr. Nazmul said. He advised the people to be much more aware in preventing dengue. Everything including the rooftop flowerpots, the drains outside the houses should be kept clean.

The commode in the bathroom, buckets or anything else should not be left with water in them, especially if the house remains unoccupied for three days or more. As aedes mosquitoes mainly bite during the day he also suggested day-time use of mosquito-nets while sleeping. He said, if someone has a fever, they should be tested for dengue as well as corona.

And in case of treatment, the medicine must be taken on the advice of a registered doctor. If necessary, one could take treatment by contacting the hotline number of DGHS. To contain the dengue crisis, the ongoing drives will continue in Dhaka South City Corporation areas to control dengue, said its mayor Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh on Wednesday.

He said this while exchanging views with journalists after inaugurating an interim waste disposal centre at the Tantibazar intersection in Ward 36 of the city. “Dengue situation is now under control, although the number of dengue patients is a bit more this time due to heavy rainfall,” the mayor said.

The DGHS has reported three confirmed dengue-related deaths in 2020. According to official figures, 101,354 dengue cases and 179 deaths were recorded in Bangladesh in 2019.

Dengue fever was first reported in Bangladesh in 2000 when it claimed 93 lives. In the following three years, the fatalities almost fell to zero. However, the mosquito-borne viral infection struck again in 2018, killing 26, and infecting 10,148 people.

Eminent virologist Prof Dr Nazrul Islam said, “You have to kill mosquitoes to prevent dengue infection and you have to wear a mask to avoid coronavirus. These are two completely different things. There is a possibility of a catastrophic crisis in the hospitals if dengue rises amid the pandemic.”

Dr Md Robed Amin, line director of the DGHS Non-Communicable Disease Control (NCDC) unit, said there were few dengue patients from January to May, but the rate at which dengue was spreading had led to a doubling of the numbers of those infected since June.

“It has been raining for the last few days. This will continue from April to October. During this time, dengue cases increase. Outbreaks of dengue increased at this time in 2019 as well. Although there was no such outbreak last year, the number of patients is increasing again this year,” he said. 

He urged everyone to ensure that water did not pool and become stagnant in or around their homes. 

Malaria is now adding insult to the injury amid Covid pandemic. Malaria cases have been rising in the country again for the last couple of months. DGHS, although overall malaria cases for January to June are 4 per cent fewer than that of the same period of 2020, the malaria cases increased drastically since the start of the malaria peak season (May onward).

It said three out of five malaria endemic districts from Chattogram division (Chattogram, Bandarban and Cox’s Bazar) reported higher number of cases during this period compared to the same period of last year.

Bandarban is the most endemic area. Till June this year, 75 per cent of the total cases (1,522 out of2017) of the country have been reported from Bandarban.

“The monsoon is the peak season for malaria disease. The malaria cases are on the rise in the country and the trend may continue during the rainy season if people don’t remain alert and destroy the breeding grounds for the vector,” Dr Afsana Alamgir Khan, deputy programme manager (Malaria & Aedes Transmitted Disease) of the DGHS, told the press.

DGHS said the malaria cases have increased in Chattogram hill tracts, Bandabarn, Rangamati and Khagrachhari districts, alarmingly than other malaria-prone districts of the country in May and June.

“Some 1,585 malaria cases were detected and five of them died in May and June this year. Of the total malaria cases, 90-95 per cent was detected only in Bandarban, Khagrachhari and Rangamati districts. Some 1,215 cases were detected in Bandarban, 236 in Rangamati and 37 in Khagrachhari districts in the last couple of months,” Prof Dr Robed Amin, spokesperson for the DGHS, said on July 14.  According to the DGHS, 1,262 malaria infections were detected and three patients died in the country in June while 323 cases were detected in the month of May.

Robed Amin also cautioned travellers to avoid the three hill districts due to the rising malaria cases there.

The DGHS data said 2017 malaria cases have been detected from January to June in 2021. The number was 2109 in 2020 and 3,078 in 2019. On the other hand, 1,585 cases were detected in May-June in 2021 compared to 1,179 cases in 2020 and 2,312 cases in 2019.

Sources at the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said the malaria cases have been reduced in the country comparatively than in the past as the government has been implementing the National Malaria Elimination Program (NMEP) in a bid to eliminate the disease from Bangladesh.