The United States has provided Bangladesh with 500,000 dengue NS1 rapid diagnostic test kits to support the country’s ongoing efforts to detect and manage dengue cases amid the current outbreak.

The kits, funded by the US government through the Strengthening Technical Response to Infectious Diseases (STRIDES) programme, were formally handed over to Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Md Sakhawat Hossain by US Chargé d’Affaires to Bangladesh Trishita Mawla at Kurmitola Multicare Specialized Hospital in Dhaka on Wednesday (October 1).

The health minister instructed officials to distribute the dengue testing kits across the country as quickly as possible. He said the handover ceremony was arranged at the hospital considering traffic congestion and ease of transportation. All the kits, however, will first be deposited with the Central Medical Stores Depot (CMSD) before being distributed to district and upazila hospitals according to demand through the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).

Sakhawat Hossain said sufficient stocks of dengue antigen test kits and intravenous saline are also currently available in the government sector. As a result, the health authorities are prepared to ensure necessary testing and treatment even if the number of dengue cases increases in any part of the country.

Regarding the introduction of a dengue vaccine in Bangladesh, the minister said the government is considering the matter. As the vaccine is expensive, he said its effectiveness and safety must first be ensured. Discussions are underway with the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF and Gavi, and a final decision will be made in line with international guidelines.

Additional Secretary of the Health Services Division Md Rafiqul Islam, Additional Director General of the Directorate General of Health Services Prof Dr Md Zahid Raihan, Director of Kurmitola Multicare Specialized Hospital Brigadier General Md Saidur Rahman, and senior officials from the US Embassy and the Ministry of Health were also present at the programme.