Public awareness to be created for dengue prevention  

Participants of a dengue related discussion meeting organised in Chittagong Lions Eye Hospital said that prevention of dreadful disease like dengue is possible through social movement and creation of mass awareness.

Organised yesterday Tuesday by Community Development Centre (CODEC), Chairman of ADAB Chittagong and Deputy Executive Director of CODEC Kamal Sen Gupta presided over the meeting.

CODEC Executive Director Dr. Khursid Alam orchestrated the welcome speech while Programme Officer of the Royal Danish Embassy in Bangladesh Khaja Ahamed was the principle presentor.

Associate Professor of USTC Dr. Mahmud A. Chowdhury Arju and Editor of health magazine Swasthyaloak Dr. M. G. Morshed participated in the discussion.  

Main discussant of the meeting (who himself has recently been infected with dengue haemorrhagic fever) Khaja Ahamed has through slide presentation provided extensive knowledge on his own experience of being a dengue victim, what is dengue, why it occurs, what are the diagnosis of dengue fever, how infects the dengue virus, how to recognise the aedes mosquito, what are the sources/breeding sites, how do the aedes grow, how to create public awareness and how to prevent this disease.

In his welcome address, CODEC Executive Director Dr. Khursid Alam explained the objective of this informative workshop and urged all sections of conscious citizen to come forward in preventing dengue fever.

Physicians, journalists, academicians, NGO representatives and civil society representatives including Dr. Shafique Haider Chowdhury participated in the open discussion.  

Whole workshop was conducted by CODEC Programme Officer Ms. Shamsun Nahar Chowdhury Koli.

Conclusions of Dengue Slide Show #8 in Chittagong Lions Eye Hospital Auditorium 

_{28 August 2001}

Public awareness: Many initiatives which were undertaken since last year’s outbreak in Chittagong are discontinued this year.

           ·        NGOs and civil society together with media of Chittagong to work out  and implement a sustainable mass awareness programme as an integral part of the nation-wide dengue prevention movement.

Baseline data: There do not seem to be any technical or socioeconomic survey done like in Dhaka city.

           ·        Continued aedes larval surveillance to be conducted in all city wards with emphasis on identification of active areas.

Prevention programme: Aedes are still seen flying in some city areas like Chatteswari, Ferengee Bazar Bridge Ghat and USTC complex and many breeding sites are still found at household & community level.

           ·        Local area based action plan to be initiated & implemented with active participation and support of the local community much before the advent of the next breeding season.

           ·     Waste management including recycling of containers to be undertaken.

Objective media coverage: Media reporting are often confusing and non representative of country situation. 25 people died off 2.000 infected cases in Chittagong in 2000, but no figure is available for this year! Physicians are divided on the use of steroid and blood platelet in treating dengue patients but people know nothing about it.

          ·        Advantages and disadvantages of debatable treatment of steroid, objective reporting and sharing of country and regional experience and research findings to be instrumental in strengthening planning & response to dengue disaster.

         ·        State control/restrictions on information to be withdrawn.

National Guidelines for Clinical Management: Some homaeopathic medicines like Eupator Perf 200 became popular clinical preventive measures since last year in Chittagong as well.

         ·        Homaeopaths are to be consulted as well and their views reflected in the second edition of the National Guidelines.

National Guidelines for Preventive Management: Many local organisations like Dhaka based Bishwa Shahittya Kendra and Eastern Consortium of Segun Bagicha are active in dengue prevention movement.

·        Based on the experience of first two years (2000 & 2001), a national guidelines is to be formulated for each dengue prone urban & rural areas in Bangladesh.

_{Khaja Ahamed}

Sl.No.

Name

Organisation

Government Officials

1.

Mr. M. Khairul Bashar

Chittagong Civil Surgeon Office, District Health & Education Officer

Donors

2.

Ms. Dilruba Haider

DFID/BHC, Sr. Programme Officer

Journalists

3.

Mr. Manjurul Alam

Daily Purbakon, Chittagong, Photo Journalist

4.

Mr. Mohammad Ali

Daily Purbakon, Chittagong

5.

Mr. Swapan Dulla

Daily Purbakon, Chittagong

6.

Mr. Asif Siraj

Daily Azadi, Chittagong

7.

Ms. Selina Akhter

P.D. Image

8.

Mr. Anisuddin Dastagir

Image

9.

Mr. Jishu Krishna Rakshit

The Sangbad

Civil Society

10.

Captain Jahangir

Ship Master

11.

Lion Abdur Rouf Khaled

Lions Eye Hospital, Secretary

12.

Lion Alhaj Rafique Ahmed

CE Mamata, Chittagong

School/College/University

3.

Mr. Shafique H. Chowdhury

Chittagong University, Zoology Department

14.

Mr. Feroze Ahammad

Chittagong University, Student

15.

Mr. Sheikh Mirajul Islam

USTC, Chittagong

16.

Mr. Prabir Bhattacharya

Chittagong Public School & College, Assistant Professor English

17.

Mr. Golam Mostafa Chowdhury

Nasirabad Government High School, Assistant Teacher

18.

Dr. Sunil Howlader

Government Women’s College

19.

Mr. Sardar Mahmudul Hasan

Chittagong Medical College

20.

Mr. Rajib Hasan

Chittagong Medical College

21.

Mr. M. Hasan Shahriar

Chittagong Medical College

22.

Ms. Anjali Barua

Government Girls College, Chittagong, Lecturer Economics

23.

Mr. Hashi Chakraborty

Chittagong Arts College, Artist

24.

Ms. Chaya Chakraborty

Chittagong Arts College, Teacher

25.

Ms. Rizwana Hoque

Student

 NGOs

26.

Dr. Khursid Alam

CODEC, Executive Director

27.

Mr. Kamal Sen Gupta

CODEC, Deputy Executive Director

28.

Mr. M. Shamsul Momen

CODEC, Sr. Programme Officer

29.

Mr. Absar Habib

CODEC

30.

Mr. Tasaddak Hossain

CODEC

31.

Mr. Palash

CODEC, Coordinator

32.

Mr. Mohammad Ali

CODEC, Coordinator, Patiya

33.

Dr. Putul Rani Roy

World Vision, Chittagong ADP, HPS

34.

Ms. Shahana Hassan

CWW, FPSSW, Supervisor

35.

Mr. Nurul Kabir Chowdhury

SADHANA, Secretary General

36.

Mr. Firoz Ahmed

DORP, Coordinator, Chittagong

37.

Mr. Pabitra Kumar Barua

ALORAN, Boalkhali, Chittagong

38.

Mr. Mahfuzul Hoque Chowdhury

GREEN Bangladesh, Chittagong

39.

Dr. Nandita Barua

G.P.

40.

Mr. M. Arifur Rahman

YPSA, Chief Executive

41.

Mr. Alamgir Kabir

YPSA, YF

42.

Ms. Khairun Nahar

Bita, CR/CS, Area Manager

43.

Mr. Mohammad Alamgir

OPCA, Mirsarai, Executive Director

44.

Mr. Rezaul Karim

OWDEB, Programme Officer

45.

Mr. Nurul Amin Manik

SEP Bangladesh, Coordinator

46.

Mr. Mostafa Kamal

UTSA, Ctg., Executive Director

47.

Mr. Sagor Osman

UTSA, Member

48.

Mr. Diponkar Chakraborty

Palli Pragati Sangstha, Chandnaish

49.

Mr. Noor-E-Akbar Chowdhury

OACH, Executive Director

50.

Mr. Mohammad Yakub

OACH, Sr. Programme Officer

51.

Mr. Mostafiqur Rahman

GUP, Regional Manager

52.

Mr. Riyadh Chowdhury

ISDE, Chittagong

53.

Mr. Bijoy K. Nath

CONCERN, Regional Manager

54.

Mr. Uttam Barua

UPAMA, Mirzapur, Hathazari

55.

Mr. S. Gani Chowdhury

PROTTYASHI, Project Manager

56.

Ms. Monowara Begum

PROTTYASHI

57.

Mr. M. Salim Hossain

NGO Forum, Chittagong

58.

Mr. M. Rabiul Alam

ADAB Chittagong, Chapter Coordinator

59.

Ms. Razia Begum

Banaful, SWO

Medical Practitioners

60.

Dr. Mahmud A. Chowdhury

USTC, Associate Professor

61.

Dr. Mohammad Anwar

USTC, Medical Officer

62.

Dr. M. G. Morshed

Swasthyaloak, Editor