Dengue fever major concern for parents of school children

Rawalpindi: With the government and private schools going to resume classes the outbreak of dengue fever has become a major concern for parents who want better arrangements in the schools to cope with this threat to their children. "The protection of children against the dengue virus must be one of the top priorities of the school management and the local administration so we hope that both of them will work together to fight against this disease," said Rukhsana Ayub, a housewife.

She said the Punjab government has done tremendous work in last few years to tackle with the dengue virus but it is a continuous process that needs its proper attention till this threat is completely wiped out from the province. Dengue fever occurs frequently during and shortly after the monsoon season. It is necessary to ensure all egg-laying habitats of mosquitoes like open and stagnant water source are cleaned up to thwart the threat of dengue fever. Dr. Naveed Kanju said it is now the responsibility of the civic agencies to work in coordination with citizens and communities, to ensure that water never accumulate in open places, rooftops and lawns, since stagnant water is the birthplace of the killer mosquitoes.