Community action: ‘Keep neighbourhoods clean for public health’

Awareness walks, seminars organised on World Dengue Day.

MULTAN/ FAISALABAD/ LAHORE:

Scores of participants of walks and seminars in Lahore, Faisalabad and Multan on Monday urged citizens to keep their neighbourhoods clean and ensure safe working environments as part of an awareness campaign for eradication of dengue.

In Lahore, a walk was organised by Health Department Punjab from Directorate Health Office to the Assembly Hall. Dengue Control Additional Director General Islam Zafar led the walk. Zafar said steps were being taken for eradication of dengue in the province.

He said water accumulation should be discouraged and residents should keep their neighbourhoods clean.

He said community participation was vital for eradication of dengue.

An awareness raising seminar was arranged at Government Degree College for Women in Marghzar Colony by the Cooperatives Department.

MPA Malik Saiful Mulook Khokhar led the walk that followed. Addressing the seminar, Malook said that mosquito breeding had been largely controlled.

He said the strategy to eradicate dengue fever could be made more effective if citizens ensured clean neighbourhoods and work places.

A dengue fever awareness walk was organised by Gulberg Town. Participants walked from Liberty Chowk to Hafeez Centre.

Pamphlets and brochures on protective measures about dengue were distributed at Liberty roundabout.

Shop owners along the route were asked to keep their shops, houses and surroundings neat and clean.

In Multan, Rescue 1122 workers participated in an awareness walk on dengue.

Participants of the walk were carrying banners and placards inscribed with slogans on the need for precautionary measures against dengue breeding. They chanted slogans urging citizens to maintain cleanliness in their neighbourhoods.

Rescue 1122 Community Safety Wing organised the rally on dengue awareness in connection with World Dengue Day. Rescue 1122 Emergency Officer Ahmed Kamal led the walk.

Participants walked from the Rescue 1122 office at Kalma Chowk to Kutchery Chowk.

Senior rescue officer Abdul Jabbar told newsmen that inspections of graveyards, vacant plots and playgrounds had been completed in urban areas.

He said steps had been taken to ensure that there would be no dengue outbreak in Multan this year.

He said frequent rains during monsoon provided ideal conditions for dengue-carrying mosquitoes to breed in stagnant water.

He said teachers and religious leaders should raise awareness on the issue.

In Faisalabad, an awareness walk led by DCO Noorul Amin Mengal and MPAs Najma Afzal and Surriaya Nasim started from Zila Council Chowk and ended at the same place after participants walked through Kutcheri Chowk and Circular Road.

Health EDO Waqar Sadiq, DO Nawazish Goraya, Dengue Control District Coordinator Muhammad Bilal also participants in the walk.

Participants carried placards and banners and distributed pamphlets to inform people about ways to prevent dengue fever.

They were told to drain areas where water has been stored as these areas serve as breeding grounds for mosquitoes that carry the dengue virus.

The participants also encouraged them to keep their surroundings clean by preventing garbage dumping.

Talking to newsmen, Mengal said the chief minister had ordered a vigorous campaign on dengue fever.

He said raising public awareness was part of the campaign. He said such awareness walks were an effective way to sensitise masses about dengue fever.

He said, “If we succeed in educating masses, they will be able to fight the dengue fever menace on their own.”

Published in The Express Tribune, June 16^th, 2015.