Most casualties from dengue fever are caused by lack of awareness about precautionary measures, Islamia University of Bahawalpur Vice Chancellor Muhammad Mukhtar said on Monday.
He was speaking at a rally organised by University Model School (UMS) at the Baghdadul Jadeed Campus of the university.
The vice chancellor called upon school teachers to educate children about the precautions to take to protect themselves against the dengue mosquito.
He said a lesson on the precaution and treatment of the disease should be included in the curricula along with chapters on basic hygiene and cleanliness.
The rally was attended by UMS students and staff. It started from the UMS campus and marched up to the university auditorium.
Prof Mukhtar said the medical department of the university had been directed to ensure timely spray of anti-mosquito insecticide in the UMS and the university.
The vice chancellor said the administration was working to upgrade the UMS into a higher-secondary education institute.
Earlier, IUB Senior Medical Officer Muhammad Usman Cheema addressed the gathering on Dengue Fever: Protection and Precautionary Measures.
He said some estimates put the number of casualties from dengue fever every year to about 20,000 worldwide. He said the disease was prevalent in parts of Australia, Africa, North America and Asia.
He said the number of casualties could be brought down with timely and accurate diagnosis.
Dr Cheema said the disease was also known as joints and bone fever.
Shielding windows and doorways with net, wearing full sleeve shirts, covering water tanks and vessels, preventing water puddles in lawns and streets and ensuring bright light and passage of air in houses and offices were identified as some precautionary measures against the disease.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 25th, 2012.
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