Virus feared to hit between Feb and April
LDA official urges people to take preventive measures.
LAHORE:
A dengue fever epidemic may hit Lahore between the second week of February and the first week of April, 2012, Abdul Jabbar Shaheen, the Lahore Development Authority (LDA) director general, said on Sunday.
Shaheen was addressing an awareness raising seminar about Causes and Prevention of Dengue Fever at the LDA headquarters.
He said that these weeks generally had favourable weather for mosquito breeding. He asked the people to start pesticide sprays from the beginning of February.
He said, “Dengue fever is not just a disease, but a social problem, which can only be tackled by involving the community.”
He said that the LDA had established a 24-hour helpline at 111-111-532 for the residents of LDA-approved housing societies, where people can call to avail anti-mosquito fogging service.
Shaheen said that combating dengue in Lahore was a new experience and a challenge for the administration. He said experts from Sri Lanka, Indonesia and Thailand, who visited Lahore during the recent dengue epidemic, had called it the ‘biggest ever epidemic in the world.’
He commended the efforts of the doctors and the chief minister’s leadership and claimed that more than 25,000 lives had been saved through team work and coordination.
He advised the people to adopt precautions against dengue and regularly spray pesticides in their houses. He also asked them to cover water storages properly and regularly drain stagnant water.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 26th, 2011.
A dengue fever epidemic may hit Lahore between the second week of February and the first week of April, 2012, Abdul Jabbar Shaheen, the Lahore Development Authority (LDA) director general, said on Sunday.
Shaheen was addressing an awareness raising seminar about Causes and Prevention of Dengue Fever at the LDA headquarters.
He said that these weeks generally had favourable weather for mosquito breeding. He asked the people to start pesticide sprays from the beginning of February.
He said, “Dengue fever is not just a disease, but a social problem, which can only be tackled by involving the community.”
He said that the LDA had established a 24-hour helpline at 111-111-532 for the residents of LDA-approved housing societies, where people can call to avail anti-mosquito fogging service.
Shaheen said that combating dengue in Lahore was a new experience and a challenge for the administration. He said experts from Sri Lanka, Indonesia and Thailand, who visited Lahore during the recent dengue epidemic, had called it the ‘biggest ever epidemic in the world.’
He commended the efforts of the doctors and the chief minister’s leadership and claimed that more than 25,000 lives had been saved through team work and coordination.
He advised the people to adopt precautions against dengue and regularly spray pesticides in their houses. He also asked them to cover water storages properly and regularly drain stagnant water.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 26th, 2011.