How is dengue still claiming lives?

This year has already seen the worst outbreak of dengue in the history of our nation, with the death toll now hovering around 1,600, but the fact that dengue -- which usually starts subsiding in the month September -- is still claiming lives as we approach the season of winter should be ringing alarm bells throughout our health care infrastructure.

In fact, last Wednesday, dengue claimed 24 lives in one day -- the highest number of single-day casualties from the mosquito-borne disease in the history of our nation. Exactly how did matters get this bad?

Ever since the 2019 outbreak which saw 179 deaths, there have been repeated calls to have a more pro-active approach to fighting dengue. But the government has been unable to provide any measures beyond reactive actions such as increasing the spread and frequency of mosquito repellent dispersal -- which has proven to be ineffective in curbing the number of dengue infections to any meaningful degree.

When it comes to infectious diseases such as dengue, prevention has always been preferred over cures. And while the government had, in the past, revealed ambitious plans to bring the population of the dengue-bearing aedes mosquito under control, following up on those plans has not been a reality yet.

Whatever happened to the plan of releasing sterile mosquitoes to fight dengue? The plan was last announced to be on track towards implementation by the year 2024, yet we have heard next to nothing about it since.

The recent announcement of the government working towards a dengue vaccine was received well, but if it falls into the same trap of remaining in the planning phase in perpetuity, there really is no point.

Dengue has utterly ravaged Bangladesh this year, and it cannot be swept under the rug as a minor inconvenience anymore. This is a deadly disease and must be prioritized as such.