Amid a surge in mosquitoes over the past month, the health ministry has initiated a move to check whether the insecticide used to kill mosquitoes is effective.

The health minister and the state minister will visit the storage facilities of the two Dhaka city corporations tomorrow, along with experts from the National Institute of Preventive and Social Medicine (NIPSOM), to examine the efficacy of the insecticides, officials said.

The move came after the health ministry held a meeting with the city corporation and health officials today on ways to control mosquitoes, they said.

Dhaka has seen a surge in Culex mosquitoes over the past month, as both city corporations have failed to adequately eliminate breeding grounds. Many have also questioned the efficacy of the insecticides used to kill mosquitoes.

A rise in mosquito-borne diseases such as dengue often puts pressure on health facilities, and the health ministry therefore emphasises mosquito control and disease prevention to avoid potential strain, officials said.

Jahirul Islam, chief executive officer of Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC), told The Daily Star, “Experts will check whether the insecticide used by our workers is effective in killing mosquitoes.”

Health Minister Sardar Md Sakhawat Husain will visit the DSCC storage at Saydabad, while State Minister for Health MA Muhit will visit the storage of Dhaka North City Corporation in Mirpur-2 tomorrow.

Jahirul said they have also conducted tests of the insecticide after a surge in mosquitoes in the capital, but are yet to get the test result.

Besides, he said, they also formed a ward-level team comprising their officials from different sectors to monitor the ongoing drive to control mosquitoes.

The meeting also discussed other steps the city corporations can take for mosquito control, a top health ministry official said. The meeting also talked about raising public awareness about cleanliness to destroy breeding grounds, he said, wishing not to be named.

The country recorded 413 dengue-related deaths last year, making it the third deadliest on record. Besides 1,02,861, people were hospitalised with dengue last year, which was the second-highest tally recorded in Bangladesh over the past 25 years.