DNCC launches ‘100 in 100’ drive to curb dengue disease

DNCC Begins 100-Day Dengue Prevention Campaign Across High-Risk Areas

Thebangladaily.com – Dhaka North City Corporation has begun a focused three-month effort to reduce dengue risk by targeting the places where Aedes mosquitoes breed before they can spread the disease. Running through September, October and November, the initiative shifts attention away from relying mainly on outdoor spraying and toward removing stagnant-water sources that allow mosquitoes to multiply.

The campaign, called “100 in 100,” combines daily field activity with wider public awareness work across the DNCC area. Its central goal is to reach identified dengue hotspots with a consistent, organised response during the months covered by the national three-month programme.

Focus on mosquito breeding sites

DNCC Chief Health Officer Brigadier General Imrul Kayes said the city corporation has already mapped dengue-vulnerable locations ward by ward. That earlier work has given officials a clearer picture of the areas requiring the greatest attention and has helped them direct control measures toward more specific locations.

The approach recognises that eliminating larvae can be more effective than concentrating only on adult mosquitoes. Adult mosquito control may reduce the visible mosquito population for a time, but breeding sites inside homes, rooftops, yards, construction areas and other private or shared spaces can allow a new population to emerge quickly if they are left untreated.

“We are deploying 100 volunteers every day, and the programme will continue for 100 days,” he said.

Kayes said the plan is aligned with the government’s 90-day national programme. Under the DNCC initiative, 100 volunteers are expected to work daily at 100 designated hotspots, with the objective of making those locations fully clear of breeding opportunities.

“Aligned with the government’s 90-day, or three-month, national programme, 100 volunteers will work at 100 hotspots with the aim of making them 100 percent clear.”

The name of the programme reflects both the scale of its daily volunteer deployment and its 100-day duration. By keeping teams active over an extended period, the campaign is designed to address a problem that cannot be resolved through a single cleanup drive or one round of insecticide application.

Residents will receive awareness letters

DNCC is pairing the field operation with a citywide effort to encourage residents and institutions to take preventive action. Awareness letters are being prepared for distribution throughout the corporation’s jurisdiction, bringing dengue prevention guidance directly to households and organisations.

DNCC Administrator Md Shafiqul Islam Khan said letters carrying his signature will be delivered not only to individual homes and housing societies, but also to educational institutions, government buildings, offices and courts. The broad distribution reflects the fact that mosquito breeding sites can develop in many settings, including places where people gather, work or study.

For residents, the message is practical: dengue prevention begins close to home. Water that collects in containers, discarded materials, rooftop spaces, gardens or surrounding areas may create an opportunity for Aedes mosquitoes to breed. Regular inspection and cleaning can therefore support the work of city corporation teams.

Community participation remains essential

Entomologist Kabirul Bashar stressed that removing larvae from homes and premises is essential if dengue control is to be sustained. Even extensive outdoor insecticide spraying has limits when mosquito breeding continues on private property or in overlooked spaces.

“The community and the public must be involved in this effort. Everyone must ensure that Aedes mosquitoes have no opportunity to breed in their homes or surrounding areas,” he said.

This places an important responsibility on communities as well as authorities. Mosquito-control workers can identify risk zones, conduct inspections and carry out field measures, but lasting progress depends on whether residents, property managers and institutions regularly remove standing water and cooperate with prevention teams.

Housing societies, schools, offices and public institutions can contribute by checking shared areas as routinely as individual households inspect their own premises. A neglected container, drain-adjacent space or unused outdoor area can undermine wider prevention work if it remains a breeding location.

A sustained response for Dhaka

The DNCC campaign brings together targeted hotspot work, volunteer participation, public communication and an emphasis on source reduction. Its success will depend on continued action throughout the 100-day period rather than short-term activity alone.

Keeping homes and surrounding spaces clean, preventing water from collecting unnecessarily and allowing mosquito-control workers to carry out their duties are among the most direct ways the public can support dengue prevention. With high-risk locations already identified, the “100 in 100” drive aims to turn that information into concentrated action across Dhaka North.