Anti-dengue Day: Seminars, walks held in Bahawalpur

‘Improving sanitation and environment will end the disease’.

BAHALWALPUR: A number of seminars, meetings, walk and rallies were held on Sunday to develop awareness about the dengue virus.

Health Department officials briefed participants about what causes dengue fever and how to prevent the disease.

Educational institutions including the Islamia University Bahawalpur (IUB), Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (Bahawalpur), Quaid-i-Azam Medical College, three government girls colleges, Govt SD High School and Govt Abbasia Higher Secondary School participated.

Seminars and walks were organised by the Special Education Centre, Health Department, Social Welfare Department and the TMAs.

Posters and leaflets were distributed among participants of the walk and in the city explaining the measures to take to stop water storages and application from developing into dengue mosquito breeding sites.

Seminar speakers said it was important to improve sanitation.

IUB Senior Medical Officer Dr Muhammad Usman Cheema told a seminar at the university that cleanliness and a healthy environment were the best way to stop the spread of the virus.

He said the virus had infected 50 to 100 million people in around 110 countries in the world. He said about 10,000 to 12,000 people were infected each dengue season in Pakistan.

The Health department said a 60-bed ward had been reserved at the Bahawal Victoria Hospital for dengue patients.

Speaking at a seminar at the TMA office, MPA Haji Zulfiqar Ali said efforts will be made to eliminate the dengue virus.

A TMA official said arrangements had been made in all nine union councils for insecticide sprays and to improve the sanitation.

A walk led by the Commissioner Muhammad Khan Khitchi. MNA Saood Majeed and former MPA Samiullah Chaudhry addressed the participants.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 3^rd, 2012.