Bangladesh is experiencing its most severe dengue outbreak on record, the World Health Organization said Wednesday, partly blaming climate change for contributing to the spread of such mosquito-borne diseases.
Since the outbreak began in April, more than 135,000 dengue cases and 650 deaths have been recorded in the world’s eighth most populous country, the UN agency said.
More than 300 deaths from dengue were reported last month alone, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told an online news conference
“The outbreak is putting huge pressure on the health system,” he said.
While cases were beginning to decline in the capital Dhaka, they were increasing in other parts of the country, he added.
The WHO said it has deployed experts on the ground in Bangladesh, and is supporting authorities to strengthen surveillance, boost laboratory capacity and increase communication with affected communities.
