Curbing dengue outbreak

Yet another unsuspecting victim, a teenage girl, has succumbed to dengue in Karachi, bringing the total nation-wide tally to 26 this year. The Pakistan Medical Association has directed the government to immediately declare a health emergency in certain divisions of Karachi and Hyderabad. Meanwhile, the Secretary of Health in Sindh has announced a promising turn of events, claiming that the overall dengue trend is exhibiting a gradual decline.

In the past year, multiple parts of Pakistan were immersed in a deathly battle against this year's monsoon floods, soon followed by hazardous air quality in Punjab - only to be flung into yet another health emergency. Without a doubt, these health and climate concerns all stem from the same group of problems that the government refuses to deal with in a consistent manner, relying instead on short-term solutions after the alarms are already red and blaring. Waste management and sanitation are key components in ensuring that a city remains liveable, not just for future generations but for current ones as well. The government cannot avoid the problem of waste management simply because it does not seem to have short term consequences. Across multiple parts of Karachi, residents live amidst growing heaps of garbage and overflowing gutters, creating a pungent smell that has embedded itself into the very fabric of this city. Where on the one hand, citizens refuse to dispose off their trash properly, on the other, the government refuses to establish a fail-proof system to keep the city clean.

The fight for a cleaner environment will prevail. But till then, citizens must take precautionary measures including using insect-repellents, wearing long and loose clothing, eliminating standing water and using screens on doors and windows. A disease like dengue must not be dealt with lightly.