Source: Observer

Unicef delivers medical support as cases surge in BangladeshFile photoWith more than 21,000 cases of dengue reported among children under the age of 15, Unicef is intensifying its support to the efforts of the Government of Bangladesh to contain the dengue outbreak in the country.To protect children and to respond to the public health emergency, UNICEF is delivering $2.25 million worth of urgently needed testing kits, and training of professionals, along with other critical supplies and services in the health and water, sanitation, and hygiene sectors.The dengue outbreak has now spread to 64 districts. According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, more than 112,000 cases of dengue have been reported, of which 20% are children below the age of 15 years. Over 500 dengue-related deaths have been reported.In a year when the world has seen a rising number of climate driven disasters, climate change is also exacerbating the spread of vector-borne diseases like dengue, directly impacting the lives of children as well as adults.“Once again, children in Bangladesh are at the frontlines of climate change as the dengue crisis here escalates,” said Sheldon Yett, unicef representative to Bangladesh, said on Sunday.“The government of Bangladesh is undertaking a timely and effective response to the ongoing dengue situation in the country. The need of the hour is for the communities to ensure that mosquitoes do not breed in their houses and take all precautionary measures to ward away mosquitoes,” said Prof Abul Bashar Mohammad Khurshid Alam, director general of the Directorate General of Health Services.He also added: “We are providing testing kits, medical supplies, mosquito nets, and we are also working with the city corporation and relevant bodies to eliminate vector breeding sites.”Among other measures, Unicef is supporting the government in engaging communities and raising awareness about dengue prevention and taking necessary preventive measures.Unicef has mobilized religious and community leaders to influence people with actionable information to reduce the spread of dengue.Disseminating information at mass gatherings and through social media, Unicef has assisted the government in reaching over 50 million people with messages about protection from dengue in the last month.Unicef is also working together with partners to support the Government with critical medical supplies, including kits with 13,400 tests, building capacities of staff, providing technical advice, and implementing actions such as campaigns to clean up breeding sites in select areas.§Gonoforum president Dr Kamal Hossain has expressed doubts that the next parliamentary election will be free, fair and impartial."We are afraid that the upcoming national election will not be fair and neutral. People must become united so that election is held under a fair, fair and impartial manner,” he said.In this regarad, he also called upon the government to start dialogues with all political parties as early as possible to ensure the upcoming national election free, fair, and participatory one.He was speaking at a discussion organised by Gonoforum on the occasion of its 30th founding anniversary at the National Press Club in the capital.Dr Kamal said the people are extremely anxious about the next election as the 2014 one-sided election was held without voters and the 2018 election held at night.The Gonoforum president said, "I urge the government sit down with all political parties for dialogues to immediately to ensure  the upcoming national election free, fair, impartial, and participatory one.Dr Kamal placed a six-point demand, including the next election under a non-party election-time government through discussions with political parties to overcome the ongoing crisis, and reconstitution of the Election Commission.The party's general secretary Mizanur Rahman read out the demands.The demands are: (1) formation of a neutral polls-time caretaker government through dialogue with all political parties for holding a free, fair and participatory election; (2) reconstitution of the Election Commission with credible persons; (3) ensuring freedom of speech, freedom of the press, electronic media, social media, as well as freedom of political parties to hold rallies and gatherings and not to prevent them from playing a neutral role ahead of election; (4) polls-time government must ensure level playing field in election; (5) withdrawal of false and repressive cases against leaders and activists of the opposition immediately, and (6) ensuring appointment of local and foreign observers to ensure transparency in the election.Dr Kamal also conveyed greetings to the countrymen on the occasion of the 30th founding anniversary of the party.He said, "Let's work together for national unity so that we can achieve our goal unitedly."§A housewife died from electrocution at Ulipur upazila in Kurigram district on Tuesday morning.The dead was Afroza Begum, 42, wife of Shah Alam, a resident of Hokdanga village under Khetrai union.It was known that the woman came in contact with a live electric wire while she was connecting an electric water pump at her house around 7 am, leaving her injured.Family members rescued her and took to the upazila health complex where she was declared dead by the on-duty doctor.Ulipur Police Golam Mortuza confirmed it.§The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) on Tuesday approved a Taka 3,751.09 crore project to establish 50 technical training centers (TTC) at upazila level in the country to improve the skills of the aspiring youths, willing to go abroad, imparting through necessary training.The approval came from a meeting of the ECNEC held with its chairperson and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair at the NEC Conference Room in city's Sher-e-Bangla Nagar area, BSS reports.Briefing the reporters after the meeting, Planning Minister MA Mannan said that a total of 20 projects were approved today involving an overall estimated cost of Taka 14,077.86 crore."Of the total project cost, Taka 12,409.44 crore will come from the government portion, Taka 619.38 crore from the concerned organization's own fund while the rest of Taka 1,049.04 crore as project assistance," Of the approved 20 projects, 13 are new while 7 are revised.The ECNEC meeting also approved the extended timeframes of five projects without increasing expenditure of those.State Minister for Planning Dr Shamsul Alam, planning commission members and secretaries concerned were present at the briefing.Planning Commission officials said the Bureau of Manpower Employment and Training (BMET) under the Ministry of Expatriates Welfare and Overseas Employment will implement the project for setting up the TTCs with entire government fund by March 2028.The main project operations include land acquisition, construction of buildings, procurement of machineries, furniture, appointing skilled trainers for the training centers.The other projects approved in the meeting are: Smallholder Agricultural Competitiveness Project (SACP), 2nd revised with an additional cost of Taka 419.76 crore, Important Rural Infrastructures Development of Gopalganj district,2nd phase with Taka 815 crore, Climate and Disaster Resilient Small-Scale Water Resources Management Project (CDRSSWRMP) with Taka 2,235.80 crore, Implementing protection works for protecting the infrastructures built on Noler Char at Hatia upazila of Noakhali district from the river erosion of Meghna River with Taka 378.05 crore,Shubhadda Khal reexcavation alongside development and protection of both sides of the Khal under Keraniganj upazila in Dhaka district, 1st phase with Taka 317.59 crore, Mohananda River Dredging and Construction of Rubber Dam under Chapainawabganj Sadar Upazila, 2nd revised with an additional cost of Taka 64.30 crore, Construction of new building for Bagerhat Collectorate with Taka 130.20 crore, Modernization of Hossain Shaheed Suhrawardy Children’s Park with Taka 603.80 crore, Inauguration of two connecting roads from Purbachal 300 feet road to Madani Avenue with Taka 310 crore.The other projects approved in the meeting are: Construction of Borobhanga Bridge on the 25th kilometer of Sylhet (Telikhal)-Sultanpur-Balaganj (Z-2013) Highway under Sylhet Division with Taka 126.77 crore, Ramerkanda-Lakirchar connecting road development project under Munshiganj Roads Division with Taka 514.57 crore,Establishment of 500-bedded hospital and ancillary building in Jashore, Cox’s Bazar and Pabna and Abdul Malek Ukil Medical College and Nurul Haque Modern Hospital,Noakhali, 1st revised with an additional cost of Taka 1,312.43 crore, Child, Maternal and health management component: Modernization of diagnostic imaging system at medical college hospitals of eight divisional cities,1st revised with an additional cost of Taka 194.55 crore,Expansion of infrastructures and academic operations of Khulna University of Engineering and Technology, 1st revised with an additional cost of Taka 387.33 crore,Leaving No One Behind: Improving Skills and Economic Opportunities for the Women and Youths in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh with Taka 176.88 crore, Construction of Patuakhali Export Processing Zones with Taka 1,442.78 crore, Economic Census 2023 with Taka 579.53 crore, Establishment of gas distribution pipeline network at Rangpur,Nilphamari, Pirganj town and adjacent areas, 1st revised with an additional cost of Taka 68.50 crore, construction of Syedpur 150 MW Simple Cycle based power plant, 1st revised with an additional cost of Taka 248.93 crore.Ministers, State Ministers, Planning Commission members and secretaries concerned attended the meeting.