Dengue alarm

Dengue has spread through various districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and has, according to news reports published earlier this month, claimed 69 lives so far. According to a report issued by WHO, Pakistan has witnessed repeated outbreaks of dengue for a long time. However, the virus peaked between July and November this year. A dengue outbreak was reported from KP and a majority of patients who lost their lives were suffering from complications.

So far, 24,807 laboratory-confirmed cases have been reported so far. As per the WHO report, a suitable mechanism to manage cases needs to be introduced. Efforts should also be made to initiate capacity-building exercises for doctors, nurses and healthcare personnel. In addition, community education and participation should be encouraged at all costs. These facilities should primarily be provided by the health authorities as they bear the responsibility of ensuring that dengue outbreaks are tackled in an effective manner.

Qadeer Sachaan

Kech