Dengue fever continues to pose a significant public health challenge as the number of critical cases and fatalities rises, according to officials and medical experts. The Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) reported that 371 people have died from dengue so far this year, with 126 deaths recorded in October alone. The total number of reported dengue cases reached 119,801 as of October 23, showing a high burden on healthcare facilities.
Monthly data indicate a fluctuating trend in both cases and fatalities. Reported cases numbered 40,181 in October, slightly lower than the 43,774 cases recorded in September, but still substantially higher than earlier months: 20,536 in August, 9,206 in July, and 2,907 in June. Deaths have also risen notably over recent months, with 148 in September, 43 in August, 36 in July, and 13 in June.
According to HM Nazmul Ahsan, an associate professor at Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital, a large proportion of patients arriving at hospitals are in critical condition. He noted that roughly 90 percent of patients admitted are critically ill, with approximately 75 percent presenting in shock. Nazmul called for prompt hospital admission, particularly for high-risk groups such as individuals with chronic conditions—including heart, lung, liver, or kidney diseases—those suffering from asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), pregnant women, infants under one year, and older adults, especially those aged 60 and above.
“Early hospitalisation is essential,” Nazmul said, emphasizing that timely medical care and stabilization could help reduce severe outcomes and fatalities.
Public health expert Mushtuq Hussain advocated for establishing a three-tier dengue management system to decrease mortality and alleviate pressure on major hospitals. This system would involve primary, secondary, and tertiary healthcare facilities. He suggested piloting free or low-cost dengue testing at primary healthcare centers, with patients requiring closer observation referred to upazila health complexes and district hospitals. Severe cases would then be managed at medical colleges and specialized hospitals.
In addition, Hussain recommended utilizing secondary-care hospitals run by city corporations, the railway, banking sectors, and autonomous organizations in Dhaka to distribute the patient load. He also called for increasing bed capacity and treatment resources at primary healthcare centers to better handle the outbreak.
Meanwhile, Prof Kabirul Bashar, an entomologist at Jahangirnagar University, indicated that dengue cases might see a slight decline in November but warned that a substantial decrease is unlikely before December. He attributed the persistence of the outbreak in part to continued rainfall, which supports mosquito breeding. Bashar highlighted a forecasting model that projects dengue cases could continue to rise for up to six weeks after the last rainfall event.
The ongoing situation underscores the need for enhanced surveillance, early intervention, and healthcare system strengthening to manage the escalating dengue outbreak effectively.