Govt reforms national committee to tackle dengue, mosquito menace

The government has restructured the National Committee on Prevention of Dengue and Other Mosquito-Borne Diseases. The Local Government Department issued a notification on Monday reorganizing the committee with the Local Government Minister as the chairman.

The State Minister for Local Government, the Administrators of Dhaka South and Dhaka North City Corporations, the Cabinet Division and one representative each from the Prime Minister's Office have been kept as members of the committee.

In addition, the secretaries of the ministries of Home Affairs, Primary and Mass Education; Environment, Forest and Climate Change; Housing and Public Works, Defense, Civil Aviation and Tourism, Railways, Agriculture, Fisheries and Livestock, Information and Broadcasting and Cultural Affairs and the Health Services, Health Education and Family Welfare, Secondary and Higher Education, Technical and Madrasa Education Departments have been kept as members of the committee.

Apart from this, the Managing Directors of all WASAs, Chief Engineers of the Local Government Engineering Department, Chairman of the Capital Development Authority, Chief Engineers of the Public Health Engineering Department, Director General of the NGO Affairs Bureau, Chief Executive Officers of all City Corporations, Chairman of the Zoology Department of Dhaka University, Chairman of the Entomology Department of Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Head of the Entomology Department of the National Institute of Prevention and Social Medicine have been appointed as members of the committee. The Secretary of the Local Government Department will serve as the member secretary of the committee.

The committee has been asked to provide necessary instructions and review, evaluate, supervise and coordinate the activities taken and implemented across the country to prevent dengue and other mosquito-borne diseases. In addition, the committee will have to conduct necessary research, formulate and update national policies or strategy papers and carry out other activities as needed. At least four meetings will be held in a year. The committee can include members if necessary.