Dengue fever has re-emerged as a serious public health threat in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, with 787 confirmed cases reported across the Peshawar Division.
The district of Charsadda has been identified as the worst-hit area, accounting for a staggering 718 cases, while Peshawar recorded 49, Nowshera 19, and Khyber and Mohmand districts one case each, both linked to travel.
The alarming surge in cases prompted a high-level meeting chaired by Peshawar Division Commissioner Riaz Khan Mehsud, where deputy commissioners, district health officers, entomologists, and officials from all five districts reviewed the situation. The commissioner directed assistant commissioners to supervise anti-dengue operations at the union council level, while deputy commissioners were instructed to personally monitor progress.
Commissioner Mehsud ordered an immediate acceleration of anti-dengue spray campaigns and the establishment of medical camps in high-risk areas. Hospitals have been told to allocate separate wards and beds for dengue patients. Public awareness drives are also being intensified to ensure citizens adopt preventive measures.
Expressing particular concern over the extraordinary number of cases in Charsadda, the commissioner announced an inquiry to determine the causes of the outbreak. "All districts must submit lists of essential medicines and supplies to my office without delay," he said, adding that accountability would be enforced at every stage of the response.
Earlier this week, the provincial leadership has also took urgent notice. Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, in the wake of heavy rains that have created favorable conditions for mosquito breeding, has directed emergency anti-dengue operations across Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.
According to an official communiqué from the Chief Minister's Secretariat, divisional commissioners, deputy commissioners, and all relevant departments have been ordered to initiate immediate sanitation campaigns.
These include the drainage of stagnant rainwater at construction sites, markets, schools, government offices, and drains, areas identified as prime breeding grounds for dengue mosquitoes.
The Health Department has been instructed to make advance arrangements at hospitals, ensuring the availability of medicines, diagnostic kits, and treatment facilities. An effective surveillance and reporting system has also been mandated to track dengue cases in real time across the province.
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