The New Nation - Internet Edition

Sheikh Arif Bulbon

Although the season for malaria infection is near, the Mosquito Control Wing (MCW) of Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) has not yet taken any step to control the proliferation of female Anopheles, which is responsible for malaria.

Mosquito control has not improved for the last couple of months, though the MCW of the DCC committed to improve the situation.

After the high dengue season, it is malarial fever time, which is caused by a parasite, called Plasmodium and is transmitted through the bites of infected female mosquitoes. City dwellers are now bearing the brunt of additional costs for the purchase of aerosol, mosquito coils and other insect repellents to protect themselves. The slum dwellers and poorer sections of the city suffer most as they are in no way capable of buying expensive mosquito repellents.

"I am forced to set aside additional budget to buy aerosol and other repellents as the DCC has not taken any effective step to control mosquitoes till now," said Abdus Sattar, a resident of East Rampura.

He added saying that he was compelled to spend extra sum of money to install netted windows for protection. But this did not serve the purpose as much as he expected. This scenario is mainly seen in densely populated areas such as Old parts of Dhaka city including, Mitford Hospital, Badda, Basabo, Mugdapara, Gopibagh, Hazaribagh, Mohammadpur, Rayerbazar, Zigatala and some parts of Mirpur. Col Dr Md Showkat Ali, Chief Health Officer of the DCC, said, "We have 4,800 litres of larvicide in our store. When we see a particular space where Anopheles mosquito spreads, we use extensive spray to annihilate them."

Some residents complained that fumigators of the MCW of the DCC demand Tk two for spraying whenever they visit their area. And this situation continues.

The non-government organisations, public representatives and the civil society members should raise public awareness about cleanliness, dengue and malaria infections and eradication of mosquitoes, an official of the MCW of the DCC urged.

In case of malaria, Anopheles mosquitoes gather around the stagnant water and lays eggs on the stagnant water logged in abandoned flower vases, water jars, tubs, refrigerator trays, unused basin and coconut shells, he said.

Nasim-us-Seraj, Chief Entomologist of the DCC, said, "We have started collecting information about patients who were infected since July 1. We have been collecting the addresses of the patients and asked the mosquito crew to spray adulticide and larvicide in the 500 yards around the houses of the affected people."

"We have 344 fogger machines, which are still active, to spray adulticide and larvicide. We have at present 15,400 litres of adulticide in the store.

In malarial fever, in the human body, the parasites multiply in the liver, and then infect red blood cells.

Dr Iqbal Kabir, health expert of World Health Organisation (WHO), said, "Key interventions to control malaria are prompt and effective treatment with artemisinin-based combination therapies, use of insecticidal nets by people at risk; and indoor and outdoor spraying with insecticide to control the mosquitoes. Pregnant women and babies are feared to be especially vulnerable to malaria."