Dengue in Rawalpindi

Dengue drive should have started in March but did not kick off until September, by which time, damage had been done

The current and severe outbreak of dengue fever in Rawalpindi is giving cause for concern. A total of 29 cases have been reported in the last 48 hours and the total for the year thus far is more than 700 and expected to rise. More than half of the cases have come from a single location, Rawal Town, which is situated between the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad. Such is the virulence of the outbreak that it has become a threat to other areas and eradication is proving difficult for the health department. Recent spells of rain in the city, interspersed with bright sunny days, have produced ideal conditions for the mosquito that carries the virus to proliferate. Small pools of standing water do not evaporate quickly and are rapidly colonised by mosquitoes. Dengue is endemic and unlikely ever to be completely eradicated. It is also opportunistic, with the mosquitoes ‘relocating’ if they are driven from an area.

The situation is further complicated by the additional workload being put on health workers, who are already under pressure coping with the polio vaccination programme, an uncooperative public in some areas, and interminable procrastination on the part of the district government. A drive to recruit 200 lady health workers in the last year was only partially successful as 53 refused to join when summoned and others left within days as a result of the abuse they received and the overbearing attitudes of their supervisors. They are required to work from dawn to dusk and even later sometimes, for little pay. They may be issued with a show-cause notice if they happen to miss a locality, which hardly makes for a happy working environment.

Once again, it is too little and too late. The dengue drive should have started in March but did not kick off until September, by which time, the damage had been done and it was back to square one in terms of control and eradication. The best to be hoped for is a rapid drop in temperatures, which will render the mosquitoes dormant — until next year.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 29^th, 2014.

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