This year, 13 people in the Punjab have been diagnosed with dengue fever – five from Lahore and two from Rawalpindi, Adviser to Chief Minister on Health Khwaja Salman Rafique said on Tuesday.
He said as part of case response strategy, dengue surveillance teams were spraying anti-dengue larvaecide in houses wherever dengue patients were reported. He said the technical advisory committee had advised against fogging because adult dengue mosquito population was quite small. He said excessive use of chemicals was hazardous to people’s health.
He was addressing media representatives after presiding over a meeting of the cabinet committee on dengue at 90-The Mall on Tuesday.
The meeting reviewed steps taken by departments to control dengue fever in the province. Punjab Assembly Members Nawaz Chauhan, Shaikh Ijaz Ahmed, Kiran Dar, Lubna Faisal, Health Secretary Jawad Rafique Malik, Health Services DG Zahid Pervaiz, secretaries and additional secretaries of relevant departments, district coordination officers of Lahore, Faisalabad and Gujranwala, the Punjab Information Technology Board director general, Solid Waste Management Company officials, and WASA and Special Branch and health EDOs from Rawalpindi, Lahore, Multan, Faisalabad, Sheikhupura and Gujranwala attended the meeting. Senior officers of the Health Department, Higher Education Department, School Education Department, Cooperatives Department, Forests and Fisheries Department, Auqaf Department, Agriculture Department, Irrigation Department, Local Government Department, Environment Department and Social Welfare Department briefed participants of the meeting about surveillance and awareness measures they had taken in this regard.
District government officials discussed their progress in implementing dengue regulations.
General Health Vector Borne Disease Additional Director Islam Zafar said there were 2,629 confirmed dengue fever cases in the province in 2013, this year there were only 13. He discussed dengue surveillance, vector surveillance and larvaeciding measures taken by the Health Department. He said they had already completed indoor spraying in schools and colleges before they began after summer vacations.
Rafique expressed his satisfaction over the efforts being made by government departments. He said in view of rains during September, all departments must perform their duties regarding anti-dengue measures vigorously. He urged educational authorities to arrange awareness seminars for students. He also directed the Auqaf Department to ensure that prayer leaders in mosques raised awareness about precautionary measures and curbing dengue fever before Friday prayers.
Rafique stressed the need for community participation in controlling dengue fever. He said senior officers should not only monitor anti-dengue activities conducted by their staff, but should also participate in such efforts so that lower staff could be motivated. He also directed them to improve their dengue surveillance.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 3rd, 2014.
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