93,000 children contract pneumonia across K-P this year
K-P Health Services Director General Dr Shaukat Ali Saturday highlighted a significant reduction in pneumonia cases through enhanced integrated disease surveillance with the number of children under the age of five affected by the disease this year in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa falling to 93,000 compared to 127,000 who had been diagnosed with the ailment last year.
Talking to the media, he termed the decrease remarkable and attributed it to the successful implementation of the enhanced integrated disease surveillance and response system.
In a statement regarding the annual incidence rate of pneumonia cases, Dr Shaukat Ali noted that the integrated disease surveillance and response system had been expanded to all districts of the province, resulting in substantial improvements in the management of outbreaks.
He, however, urged parents to be vigilant during the intensified cold weather, saying that the severity of winter often led to an increased risk of pneumonia among children. He emphasized the importance of keeping children safe from the harsh cold to prevent the heightened vulnerability to pneumonia
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According to him, efforts were underway to further enhance the preparedness and capacity of the system.
Dr Shaukat Ali disclosed that, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Lower Dir had reported the diagnosis of pneumonia in 12,000 children under the age of five while Haripur had reported 11,000 cases, Peshawar 9,000, Swat 8,000, Swabi 7,000 and Upper Dir 4,500.
He also emphasized the need for continued efforts to mitigate the impact of pneumonia, especially among the vulnerable age group of children under five. The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government has launched strict monitoring of the healthcare system in order to enhance the quality of the public sector hospitals in the province.
On Dec 12, caretaker Chief Minister Justice (retd) Syed Arshad Hussain Shah paid a surprise visit to Qazi Hussain Ahmad Medical Complex, Nowshera, and went around various sections of the hospital.
Expressing his displeasure over the poor hygienic conditions in the hospital, the chief minister gave a deadline of one week to the hospital management to improve the situation to the desired level.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 17th, 2023.