LAHORE – A multi sectoral strategy for effective control on dengue and to prevent it from transforming into epidemic in coming season was very vital.
This was stressed by different speakers at a ceremony held here on Saturday.
They said that effective role of all the stakeholders including government; NGOs, public representatives and common people collectively could overcome this fatal disease.
They were speaking at a briefing session of the participants of dengue epidemic, prevention and control programme. The participants were sent to Thailand and Sri Lanka at Management and Professional Development Department (MPDD), on the instructions of Chief Minister Punjab Shahbaz Sharif for training.
Khawja Salman Rafique MPA, Secretary Environment Department Punjab Salim Hotiyana, Secretary Planning & Development Department Ali Tahir, Programme Director Asian Institute of Technology Bangkok Thailand Dr Faiz Shah, Mrs Shaista Pervaiz Malik, Secretary MPDD Rashida Malik, senior officers of different departments including health and finance, Professor Javed Akram, Prof Tariq Salahuddin, Prof Muhammad Ali, Head of Entomology Department Agriculture University Faisalabad Prof Wasim Akram, nurses and other officials attended the session.
On this occasion, group leaders of different working groups gave presentations in the light of their experiences and observations. The speakers further said that besides an error free data collection system of dengue patients, establishment of a foolproof and effective larva surveillance and response, case surveillance and response system is very vital for dengue eradication.
While addressing the briefing session, Secretary MPDD, Mrs Rashida Malik said that new courses would be introduced according to requirements. Secretary Planning & Development Department Ali Tahir, in his speech said that CM Shahbaz Sharif has approved project for dengue control. Prof Tariq Salahuddin said that we had faced worlds’ largest dengue epidemic in last year but due to steps taken on war footing basis by the CM and untiring efforts of doctors, nurses and other paramedical staff, we were able to safe thousands lives of dengue patients.