US donates 500,000 dengue test kits to Bangladesh

The United States has donated 500,000 dengue NS1 rapid diagnostic test kits to Bangladesh to bolster disease detection and clinical management amid the ongoing outbreak, Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Md Sakhawat Hossain said on Thursday.

Provided under the US-funded STRIDES programme, the kits were formally handed over to the minister by US Chargé d'Affaires Trishita Mowla at Kurmitola Multicare Specialized Hospital in Dhaka. Subsequently, the minister directed the authorities to distribute them promptly nationwide, explaining that they would first be deposited with the Central Medical Stores Depot (CMSD) before being allocated to district and upazila-level hospitals according to assessed demand. Moreover, he asserted that the government currently held adequate stocks of dengue antigen kits and intravenous saline, thereby enabling the health sector to respond to any sudden surge in cases and to ensure timely diagnosis and treatment, even in remote areas.

Regarding the prospective introduction of a dengue vaccine, Sakhawat said the government was weighing its effectiveness, durability, safety and cost before reaching a decision. Meanwhile, discussions with the World Health Organization, UNICEF and Gavi are continuing, and any eventual decision on vaccination will, he stressed, conform to international guidelines and protocols.

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Following the ceremony, the minister and other officials toured the hospital's dengue ward and diagnostic laboratory and spoke with patients undergoing treatment. Consequently, the donation not only augments the country's diagnostic capacity at a critical juncture but also underscores the deepening bilateral cooperation in public health.