Dengue remains a major public health
concern in Bangladesh, demanding coordinated action that extends beyond the
health sector. On 24 August 2026, WHO brought together government, health and
development partners for the second “Shastho Chorcha” dialogue to explore how
collaboration across government and society can advance dengue prevention and
control.
The session, titled “Dengue: Protecting
lives through collective action – a whole-of-government, whole-of-society
response”, was presided over by the WHO Representative to Bangladesh, Dr Ahmed
Jamsheed Mohamed, with Dr S M Ziauddin Hyder, Hon’ble Special Assistant on
Health Affairs to the Hon’ble Prime Minister (Status of State Minister),
attending as Chief Guest. Representatives from the Prime Minister’s Office,
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Directorate General of Health Services
(DGHS), local government, the Development Partner Consortium, non-governmental
organizations and academia also participated.
At the heart of the dialogue was a
challenge that no single sector can address alone: dengue transmission is
shaped by complex interactions between the dengue virus, Aedes mosquitoes and people,
as well as by environmental, climatic and social conditions.
Rising temperatures and changing
rainfall patterns can affect mosquito breeding and survival. At the same time,
rapid and unplanned urbanization, high population density and population
movement can increase transmission risks, while inadequate water, sanitation
and waste management can create conditions that favour mosquito breeding and
increase contact between mosquitoes and people.
“Dengue management cannot be an
either-or approach,” said Dr S M Ziauddin Hyder. “Surveillance, risk
communication, social mobilization, vector control and proper treatment need to
happen at the same time, in the same geographic location. These interventions
must converge.”
Participants shared current and planned
actions across institutions. DGHS has instructed government hospitals to
maintain clean environments, establish dedicated dengue corners and strengthen
awareness activities, including in schools. With WHO support, training on
updated dengue clinical management has also been completed through a
training-of-trainers programme, strengthening health workers’ capacity to
recognize and appropriately manage dengue cases.
City corporations are carrying out
community cleanliness, awareness and school-based activities, while the
Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research has tested approved
insecticides for biological efficacy and provided recommendations for their
appropriate use. The Local Government Division outlined plans to strengthen
vector control through equipment, trained personnel, improved surveillance and
an early warning system.
WHO Representative to Bangladesh Dr
Ahmed Jamsheed Mohamed emphasized that collective action must go hand in hand
with a strong health-sector response. “Every sector has a role to play in
reducing dengue transmission, and the health sector must continue to strengthen
surveillance, preparedness and quality clinical care to protect people from
severe illness and death. WHO will continue to help strengthen the
health-sector response while working with government and partners across
sectors to advance coordinated action against dengue.”
Several common priorities emerged from
the discussion, including reducing mosquito-breeding sites, particularly those
associated with plastic waste and in hard-to-reach urban areas, and
strengthening surveillance and the use of data to guide action. The discussion
closed with an emphasis on sustaining collaboration and translating commitments
into coordinated action.
“Behind
every dengue number, there is a name; behind every death, there is a family;
and behind every preventable loss, there is a responsibility we all share,”
said Dr Anupama Hazarika, Medical Officer, Communicable Disease Surveillance,
WHO Bangladesh.