PESHAWAR
The Health Department of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has achieved remarkable success in controlling the dengue outbreak, despite facing financial constraints within the province.
This unique and effective strategy has led to significant improvements in dengue control when compared to other provinces in the country.
Secretary Health Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mahmood Aslam Wazir commended the department’s efforts in designing and implementing a specialized strategy to combat dengue promptly, thus safeguarding the people of the province from this severe disease, said a hand out issued here on Monday. The strategy adopted by the Health Department involved collaborative efforts, including engaging various sectors of the community.
From a technical perspective medical entomologist and religious leaders, civil defence officials, and other stakeholders played a crucial role in the successful containment of the dengue virus.
Compared to the same period in the previous year, from January to October 2023, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa reported only 629 cases, a significant drop from the 16,787 cases reported in October 2022.
Official statistics reveal a total of 13,555 dengue cases reported across the country. Among the provinces, Punjab reported the highest number with 6,866 cases, followed by Baluchistan with 2,658 cases, ICT with 1,799 cases, and Sindh with 1,603 cases.
In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the majority of cases were reported in District Peshawar (155), Swabi (69), Mardan (47), Charsadda (37), Battagram (36), Kohat (34), Malakand (26), Haripur (20), and Bajaur (20). Additionally, cases were reported in other districts, including DIKhan, Mansehra, Lakki Marwat, Nowshera, Abbottabad, Bannu, and more.
The efforts of health department teams to combat dengue included rigorous vector surveillance. A total of 8,688,881 houses were inspected, resulting in 8,803 houses being identified as positive for dengue and promptly discarded.
Furthermore, 32,078,240 containers were inspected, with 13,221 containers being identified as positive and disposed of during indoor surveillance. Additionally, 1,86550 outdoor breeding sites/spots were inspected, and 9,960 positive sites were treated both mechanically and chemically by established protocols.
In terms of community awareness, the Health Department conducted numerous sessions and activities. A total of 295,702 male sessions engaged 2109619 participants, while 2096355 female sessions were conducted within houses, healthcare facilities, and schools, involving 8968137 female participants.
In addition, 4190 walks were held across the province to raise awareness about dengue, and 518177 dengue pamphlets were distributed during these sessions and walks. Furthermore, 149837 households were sprayed with preventive measures, and 350,000 bed nets were distributed in high-risk and low-risk areas to bolster dengue control and prevention.
Secretary Health Mahmood Aslam Wazir praised the contributions of Medical Entomologists, religious leaders and civil defence officials across various districts who played a vital role in controlling the transmission of the dengue virus.
He emphasized that religious leaders had a significant role in educating people during Friday prayers and other occasions,
while civil defence volunteers conducted door-to-door visits, motivating residents to remove breeding sites in their homes.
“I along with my teams, personally visited different areas to create awareness among the people regarding dengue fever,” Secretary Health Mahmood Aslam Wazir stated, underlining the department’s commitment to protecting the health of the people in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
