PESHAWAR - Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Health Minister Syed Qasim Ali Shah on Monday issued directives for intensification of anti-dengue activities with the onset of the monsoon season. He emphasised increase in larvicidal activities and acceleration of awareness campaigns. He issued these directives while presiding over an anti-dengue review meeting held at health secretariat.
The meeting was attended by Secretary Health Adeel Shah, Special Secretary Health Polio Abdul Basit, DG Health Dr Muhammad Saleem Khan, Director EPI Dr Arif, Director Public Health Dr Irshad Roghani, representative of district administration, UNICEF, WHO, and officials from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, among other relevant authorities.
Syed Qasim Ali Shah expressed satisfaction with the anti-dengue measures taken so far and instructed the distribution of mosquito nets in affected areas and the launch of targeted campaigns in hotspots to prevent future outbreaks.
Director Public Health Dr Irshad Roghani presented an overview of the current dengue situation. He noted the necessity of monitoring water storage due to load-shedding and reported that mosquito nets have been distributed in affected areas, with further distribution ongoing.
Dr Roghani highlighted that dengue cases are at a historic low compared to the previous year, with only 69 cases reported so far, of which only five are active, all under home quarantine.
Dr Roghani further detailed that over 1,700 awareness walks and more than 92,000 awareness sessions have been conducted, educating millions about dengue prevention.
He explained that upon detection of a positive dengue case, WHO protocols are followed, including fogging and IRS spraying in the affected area to eliminate mosquito and larval reservoirs.
Regarding entomological surveillance, Dr Roghani informed the meeting that continuous surveillance of anti-dengue activities is ongoing, with 1.5 million homes checked so far, resulting in the elimination of dengue larvae in over 500 homes.
“Over 4,000 dengue breeding sites inside homes and 640 positive larvae sites identified during external surveillance have been eradicated” he added.
In Punjab, 133 cases, and in Balochistan over 6,000 dengue cases have been reported. Analysis over the past three years indicates that the dengue season begins in August, with the highest number of cases in September.
This year, only 17 cases have been reported from Peshawar Division, and 21 cases from Malakand division
