Desk Report:
Dengue is a neglected tropical disease listed by the World Health Organization. That is, it is mainly a disease of the disadvantaged people of the society, who fail to reach the facilities of the supposed habitat around the world. It can be said with certainty that the environment that is favorable for mosquitoes is unsuitable for humans. Which means that environmental pollution, water management, sewage disposal, etc. are the daily companions of the urbanization of Bangladesh. The waste and water management of all the city corporations and municipalities is the main problem. Therefore, the vectors or mosquitoes take advantage of that facility very efficiently and continue to carry and spread the disease germs with joy, killing precious human lives.
Now mosquito-borne diseases are no longer limited to the monsoon season and are not even confined to the boundaries of Dhaka. Statistics show that the historically famous riots that occurred due to the terrible grip of dengue occurred in 2023. Where the post-monsoon month of September was the most terrible. In this month of that year, about one-third of the dengue cases in the entire year were affected and about one-fourth of the total dengue deaths occurred in this month. The month of October was also very terrible. Similar horrors can be seen in dengue in November. Similarly, in 2024, the highest number of dengue cases was observed in October and November, of which the November curve was at the very top.
Now let’s come to 2025. So far, that is, in the months of July-August, dengue has occupied the place of the highest number of cases. The curve has started in September as well. It seems that this terrible curve will continue to increase for another three months. If even one-third of the parameters to stop it were actively working, such a delicate situation would not have arisen. Among the other management methods used in mosquito control activities, the use of pesticides is notable. Overall, pesticides are an effective emergency method. Insecticides used to control mosquitoes are applied to the larval stage of the mosquito’s life cycle, called larvicide, and to the adult stage, called adulticide.
If pesticides are applied scientifically in the right amount, at the right time, and in the right manner, then the density of mosquitoes will definitely decrease. And if the density of mosquitoes decreases, the incidence and mortality rate of dengue will definitely decrease. Now the question is, the quality of pesticides, warehousing process, preparation method, transportation and disposal method of expired toxic pesticides – everything must be done according to scientifically accepted methods. By following SOP or Standard Operation Procedure through an effective law. Considering these aspects, there has been an echo from all quarters, is the applied pesticide really a pesticide or something else? The responsible persons may have also suspected this issue. If this issue is not properly resolved, then the use of ineffective or expired pesticides or pesticides without the desired level of active ingredients and formulations for years will not only cause secondary pest outbreaks of mosquitoes, but will also terribly disrupt the balance of our nature. Because, if the pesticide is not applied in the correct and effective dose, then the beneficial insects or enemies of the target insects will die before the target insects die, which will seriously increase the violence of the target insects or harmful insects. It is also heard that there is a risk of a huge difference in the composition and effectiveness of the sample that is checked and selected at the time of purchase of this pesticide and the pesticide that is regularly applied in the field. Again, it is very natural for this effectiveness to vary depending on the process in which it is stored after purchase. Therefore, all kinds of uncertainties can be eliminated by testing the effectiveness of the active ingredients of the pesticide used and making decisions based on the results.
However, this test must be done from an accredited lab. At the same time, the same sample must be collected randomly in the presence of an expert team and the test must be completed in an accredited lab under their direct supervision. Many believe that until the accuracy of this active ingredient is measured, it will not be possible to reduce the density of mosquitoes in any way. It will not be possible to reduce the prevalence and mortality of mosquito-borne diseases.
In a populous country like Bangladesh, the importance of public health is neglected, just as the assurance of safe food is neglected. At different times, the basic things of the people are suppressed from the list of priorities. It is necessary to remember that every life is very important. If a preventable disease takes away even one life, it will be undesirable. Every responsible person in the state is a partner in it. Those who are dying are all of us. Our own relatives. Testing the active ingredient is important for other reasons as well. The malathion used has already been proven in various countries to have had an adverse effect on nature due to its toxicity. We know that if any toxic substance is used as a pesticide for five years in a row, its effectiveness and the level of resistance of target insects to pesticides seriously impairs the effectiveness of the pesticide. We should remember that when Paul Hermann Muller discovered DDT in 1939, it created a stir all over the world. That is why he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 1948. It did not take long for his world-famous discovery to become a curse for mankind. This is amply proven in Russell Carson’s book Silent Spring. Therefore, it is time to emphasize the application of environmentally friendly biological control agents by testing the effective components of conventional toxic substances. There is no alternative to making decisions based on the results obtained by conducting a scientific and realistic analysis of conventional pesticides, taking into account the overall aspects of the environment and mankind.
