Dengue won’t be brought under control within five years

The dengue situation in the country has taken a severe turn. Every day, hundreds of people are being added to the  infected list with the mosquito-borne disease, and many are dying.

The government officials concerned are also taking various measures. But nothing seems to be working. The question remains: when will dengue come under control? Entomologists and public health experts say it will take at least five years to bring the current dengue situation under control. However, if the proper process is not followed, it could take even longer.

Experts say dengue control efforts must continue across the country with equal importance from January through December. In this regard, the “Kolkata model” should be followed.

Entomologist and Professor of the Department of Zoology at Jahangirnagar University Kabirul Bashar says the deeper a problem is, the more time it takes to solve. It requires additional attention. The amount of Aedes mosquito larvae being found across the country indicates that the entire country is at severe risk of dengue. There is no place in Dhaka city where Aedes mosquito larvae are not found. Only five consecutive years of science-based, integrated measures can bring dengue under control.

Explaining the five-year timeframe, Kabirul Bashar says the process will take this long because it involves actively engaging communities and sustaining that practice, monitoring mosquitoes and patients, conducting adequate research and implementing the findings in the field, developing skilled personnel, and ensuring effective insecticides.

From January to September 27 this year, 73,694 people have been infected with dengue and 225 have died. In the past 24 hours, six people have died and 2,158 have been infected.

Public health experts say that 80 percent of all people infected with dengue since 2000 were infected in the past four years. The dengue fatality rate is also very high in Bangladesh. Working-age people are being infected and dying in significant numbers. Children and pregnant women are at greater risk.

Moni Akter of Chattogram died after contracting dengue while pregnant. As her physical condition deteriorated, she eventually needed life support. Fearing that the family would not be able to afford the treatment costs, they decided to take her home. She died six minutes after being placed in an ambulance. Her eight-year-old son, Abu Jahed, had also contracted dengue. He has now returned home after receiving treatment.

Former Chief Scientific Officer of Bangladesh’s Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR), Mushtaq Husain, has also said that five years will be needed to control dengue. The public health expert says dengue will not come under control without political will from the government. Local residents and experts at various levels must be actively involved in the efforts. The results of the work must be regularly evaluated, and any challenges must be addressed quickly. A culture of accountability is also essential. Kolkata has successfully controlled Aedes mosquitoes by following this approach.

Rather than fogging, the Kolkata model focuses on identifying and destroying mosquito breeding sites, along with regular surveillance, databases, public participation and enforcement of laws. Kolkata successfully controlled dengue through this model. Although the model had been followed earlier, the programme was strengthened and reorganised in 2024 after dengue cases increased in Kolkata in 2023. The then mayor took it up as a challenge. Drones, larvicides and databases were used to identify potential breeding sites. Joint operations involving various government departments, public awareness campaigns and legal measures when necessary were also undertaken. Thus, the Kolkata model essentially combines surveillance, destruction of breeding sites, technology and public participation.

Although 13,926 dengue patients were identified in Kolkata in 2023, the number of patients within the Kolkata Municipal Corporation area from January 1 to September 22, 2026, was 539—around 8 percent lower than during the same period last year. In contrast, both dengue infections and deaths in Bangladesh are significantly higher than last year.

Professor Kabirul Bashar, who has been researching mosquitoes for 27 years, says there is no longer any chance of controlling Aedes mosquitoes through sudden or isolated measures. Several issues must be addressed in an integrated manner. Activities cannot be limited to any particular season. Mosquito populations are lower during winter, making it an ideal time to intensify mosquito-control programmes and achieve better results. In reality, however, the measures become lax during this period.

According to Directorate General of Health Services Director of Disease Control Md Halimur Rashid, work is being carried out at the highest level of government to control dengue. However, it is not possible to say at this point how long it will take to bring the situation under control. Not everything can be given a fixed timeframe. Temperature and rainfall are also major factors.