Bangladesh is grappling with a rapidly escalating public health crisis as outbreaks of dengue fever and chikungunya, both mosquito-borne diseases, place unprecedented strain on hospitals and raise fears of wider spread in the coming weeks.
According to the Directorate General of Health Services, the country has recorded more than 33,800 dengue infections and 132 related deaths so far this year. In the first week of September alone, at least ten people died and over 1,500 were hospitalized due to the fever.
Chikungunya has also re-emerged after years of relative absence. Between January and July, four laboratories in Dhaka confirmed 785 cases, while in the coastal city of Chittagong, officials reported 30 new cases within a single day, pushing the city’s total to nearly 3,000 infections in 2024.
Hospitals are struggling to cope with the influx of patients. Dhaka Medical College Hospital, the country’s largest public hospital, is operating at more than three times its capacity, with wards overcrowded and resources stretched thin.
Health experts warn the crisis may worsen unless mosquito-control campaigns are urgently intensified. The World Health Organization has identified dengue as one of the fastest-growing global health threats, fueled by climate change and rapid urbanization.
Bangladesh experienced its deadliest dengue outbreak in 2023, with more than 321,000 infections and 1,705 deaths. This year’s resurgence of both dengue and chikungunya is compounding concerns, as simultaneous fever-causing illnesses complicate diagnosis and treatment.
Specialists stress the need for immediate expansion of hospital support, wider access to diagnostic testing, and sustained year-round mosquito eradication campaigns to prevent the situation from deteriorating further.
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