Anti-Dengue day: Community participation vital to eliminate dengue, says Salman Rafique

Dengue awareness walks held to mark anti-dengue day

LAHORE: Community participation is necessary to fight a possible dengue fever epidemic, Adviser to Chief Minister on Health Khawaja Salman Rafique said on Thursday.

He was talking to reporters after participating in a dengue awareness walk organised by the Health Department.

The walk started from Health Services Directorate and ended in front of the Punjab Assembly.

He said that the main objective of observing the Anti-Dengue Day was to urge people to take measures to eliminate dengue mosquito breeding sites by draining stagnant water.

He urged people not to keep plastic bottles or tyres on rooftops.

“The number of confirmed dengue patients in the Punjab is only 10. However, dengue mosquito larvae are being reported by surveillance teams on a large scale,” he said.

Due to heavy rains, the chances of dengue mosquito breeding have increased. Lahore, Sheikhupura, Gujranwala, Faisalabad,Rawalpindi and Multan are sensitive districts in this regard, he said.

Salman said that government departments were conducting outdoor and indoor dengue surveillance in all sensitive areas.“All arrangements have been made for treatment of dengue patients at public sector hospitals,” he said.

Punjab Nursing Director General Rukhsana Kamaal, Dengue Control Additional Director General Dr Islam Zafar, Public Health Director Dr Farrukh Sultan, officials of the department, paramedics and nursing students participated in the walk.

UHS

The students, staff and faculty of the University of Health Sciences (UHS) staged a walk on Thursday to raise awareness about dengue.

UHS Registrar Dr Asad Zaheer and other officials also participated in the walk. The participants of the walk carried placards and banners. Addressing the participants, the UHS registrar said that steps were being taken to keep the campus free of dengue larvae. “In this regard, surveillance is being carried out all around the campus,” he said. Later, a seminar was organised by the Human Genetics department on dengue prevention and control. Prof Dr Aslam Khan chaired the event.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 31^st, 2015.