Dengue infects 133,000 and kills 418 this year; a sustainable control system is still lacking

Dengue in Bangladesh is no longer a temporary or seasonal public health problem; it is gradually turning into a long-standing national crisis. For about 27 years, dengue has been affecting the country's public health situation. Every year during and after the monsoon the disease surges, hospitals come under pressure from patients, and countless families lose loved ones.

According to the Directorate General of Health Services, up to October 30, 2026, a total of 133,367 people in the country had received hospital treatment after being infected with dengue, and 418 had died. Most worryingly, the dengue transmission season is not yet over.

Research-based observations say there is no certainty of significant improvement through November. Infections may fall somewhat in November and December, but there is not enough reason to be optimistic about how much they will fall compared with other years. As a result, new infections and the risk of death are feared to continue until the end of the year.

Statistics from the last few years help show the depth of this picture. In 2023, more than 321,000 people in the country were infected with dengue and 1,705 died. In 2024, the number of infected crossed one hundred thousand, and 575 died.

In 2025 too, more than one hundred thousand people were infected and 413 lost their lives. Before October 2026 had even ended, the number of infected had crossed 133,000. This continuity shows that dengue is no longer an isolated outbreak; it is putting growing pressure on the country's health system, urban management, environment and economy.

The geographical spread of dengue has also made the situation more complex. Dengue was once considered mainly a problem of Dhaka and a few big cities. Now its infection has spread to various districts, upazilas and even rural areas of the country. So dengue plans cannot remain Dhaka-centric; capacity must be built at district and upazila level for disease surveillance, monitoring of carrier mosquito spread, and control activities suited to local conditions.

The government, city corporations and related institutions have taken various initiatives at different times to control dengue. Mosquito eradication drives, crash programmes, cleanliness drives, awareness campaigns and insecticide spraying have been carried out. But despite these initiatives, dengue infections and deaths have not fallen. Questions have been raised about how scientific, targeted, coordinated and result-based these activities are.

In many cases, a programme's success is measured by how many times insecticide was sprayed, how many areas were covered by drives, or how many campaigns were run. But real success must be determined by how much mosquito density has fallen, how far infection-prone areas have been brought under control, and how much disease and death have been reduced.

The main goal of dengue control should be controlling the breeding and spread of its carrier, the Aedes mosquito. Aedes mosquitoes generally breed in water collected in and around people's homes. Water collected on roofs, balconies, in flower tubs, abandoned containers, plastic items, tyres, water tanks and at various places in buildings under construction can be breeding grounds for this mosquito. So dengue cannot be controlled by spraying insecticide only in drains, ponds, sewers or roads.

Identifying and destroying breeding sites, larva control, adult mosquito suppression, regular measurement of mosquito density and checking insecticide effectiveness must all be carried out in a coordinated way. Trying to control mosquitoes by the same method in every area will not work either; in some areas Aedes density is higher, in others the type of breeding site differs, and in some places mosquitoes have developed resistance to the insecticide used.

In this situation, establishing a strong national institution for dengue control is being urged for consideration. At present, various ministries, directorates, city corporations and local government institutions run activities in a fragmented way. It has been proposed that the proposed institution be led by an experienced entomologist with deep knowledge and practical experience of mosquito biology, ecology, insecticide resistance and vector control.

The proposed national institution would cover nationwide mosquito and disease surveillance, regular insecticide resistance testing, identification of high-risk areas, research and innovation, technical support to local government institutions, and evaluation of programme results. Public participation is also essential, because a large part of Aedes breeding sites are created inside or around people's homes and private establishments.

The analysis says that even when 2026 ends, the dengue crisis will not end. Climate change, urbanisation, population density and environmental change can create conditions favourable to mosquito spread and infection. So instead of hurried drives after the surge each year, a national programme run throughout the year must be adopted; before the monsoon begins, high-risk areas must be identified, breeding sites controlled, mosquito density monitored and necessary preparations completed. The analysis was written by Professor Dr Kabirul Bashar, an entomologist and public health specialist in the Zoology Department of Jahangirnagar University.