Dengue fever surveillance campaign launched 

ICT health department teams visit 7,000 houses,
370 schools for larvae identification, elimination

Islamabad

Islamabad Capital Territory Health Department has launched a surveillance campaign against dengue fever under which the teams of health department have so far visited as many as 370 schools and 7000 houses for larvae identification and elimination and to remove potential breeding sites of larvae of mosquito ‘aedes aegypti’, the vector that causes dengue fever.

The health department has deputed a total of eight teams comprising sanitary inspectors, malaria inspectors and malaria supervisors for outdoor surveillance in high-risk areas on the subject of dengue fever transmission while as many as 310 lady health workers have been engaged for indoor surveillance in rural areas of the capital. 

Before launching surveillance campaign, the health department held a number of meetings with the partners including CDA, Executive District Officer Health Rawalpindi, District Health Officer Rawalpindi and Commissioner Office Rawalpindi for exercising a preparedness level for the coming Dengue season, said Assistant District Health Officer at ICT Health Department Dr. Muhammad Najeeb Durrani while talking to ‘The News’ on Tuesday.

He said the teams of health department started working in the field for outdoor and indoor surveillance on March 1 this year and so far, the teams have found no positive site bearing larvae of mosquito ‘aedes aegypti’.

He said the LHWs visited a total of 6,916 houses and 283 schools from where a total of 1,657 open containers were found though none was positive for larvae of dengue fever mosquito. The teams eliminated as many as 314 potential breeding sites of mosquitoes inside houses and schools visited, said Dr. Durrani.

Talking of dengue fever control and preventive measures taken by sanitary inspectors in rural areas of the federal capital, he said the teams visited as many as 87 schools so far and delivered as many as 124 awareness lectures to the community in the high-risk areas.

The teams have been carrying out extensive outdoor surveillance activities against dengue fever in the areas including Bhara Kahu, Sohan, Kuri, Kirpa, Sihala, Tarlai and Rawat, he said.

He added the teams covered as many as 62 water reservoirs in open that may serve as potential breeding sites for larvae of mosquito while placed temephos granules in as many as 46 points containing stagnant water.

He said the teams of sanitary inspectors eliminated as many as 44 potential breeding sites of larvae so far. The teams of health department have been working for awareness among public as well, he said.

To date, the teams have distributed nearly 1400 pamphlets containing health education material, said Dr. Durrani.