Bangladesh sees highest dengue death rate in 5 years

DHAKA, Bangladesh

Bangladesh is grappling with a deadly dengue outbreak this year, prompting health experts to call for a national public health emergency.

On Tuesday, it reported 13 deaths from the disease, its highest single-day death toll so far this year, taking the total number to 127. Nine of these were from the capital Dhaka.

Meanwhile, it saw 1,533 new hospitalizations, taking the total number of cases so far this year to 24,000, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).

The mosquito-borne fever’s death rate witnessed a five-year high this year, according to the DGHS.

Women are dying more, while men are more affected. People between the ages of 18-40 are more affected and die, according to the DGHS, which said that 24 of the total deaths involved children.

According to Health Ministry data, 80 people died of dengue in the first 18 days of July, while there were nine deaths in the same period of the previous year.

Public health specialists at an event Monday in Dhaka on the dengue situation organized by the Bangladesh Medical Association (BMA) urged the government to take increased measures as the situation has gotten out of control.

Public health expert Dr. Mushtuq Hussain said at the event that the prevailing dengue situation is now a public health emergency.

Bangladesh reported the highest-ever number of annual deaths related to dengue in 2022, when 281 people died from the disease.