Threat of dengue outbreak looms huge following recent Flood Situation

The threat of a dengue outbreak looms huge following the recent Flood Situation

DENGUE

Health experts are now warning that a dengue outbreak might make life even harder for residents of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) and Sindh as a result of the floods brought on by the monsoon rains.

The provincial government has shown that it is prepared to handle a potential outbreak of the virus spread by mosquitoes, but specialists are concerned that it may be too little, too late, and they predict an increase in infections in the near future. Murad Khan, a student at the University of Peshawar, can now attest to the doctors' worries as a result of his brother's recent sickness.

PUBLIC HEALTH

Every year, the same thing happens. Even though there has been spraying and there is an awareness campaign in place, many people continue to contract the disease and struggle for their life, according to the authorities. Murad criticized local dengue control teams, claiming that they only came when the illness had already spread. In a similar vein, Minhaj Uddin, a resident of Peshawar's Palosai neighborhood, claimed that the local government was just a mute observer despite being aware of his neighborhood's status as a disease hotspot and mentioning the emergency situation that last year's dengue epidemic in the city generated.

Standing water abounds, and mosquitoes must be licking their lips in anticipation of the mayhem they will soon bring about, but neither the local government representatives nor anybody else has come to the area to spray it. They don't give a damn about us. According to data from the Malaria and Dengue Control Program that The Author was able to collect, 115 instances of dengue have been documented so far since the year's beginning. Dr. Qasim Afridi, Coordinator of the provincial Malaria and Dengue Control Program, agreed that the concern was real due to the recent floods when questioned about the probable uptick in cases.

Dengue Treatment

Speaking of the department's preparation, Dr. Qasim stated that the dengue surveillance program was making every effort to cover all of KPs-districts.  He also stated that the chief secretary, along with all of the deputy commissioners and district health officers, meets every two weeks to review the dengue action plan.

Dr. Qasim was quick to emphasize that the efficiency of any measures taken to treat the virus lay with the administration of the province. He continued, saying that the Program's current emergency grant of Rs 72 million was insufficient to cover the costs of combating dengue in all areas. "We have asked the government for emergency money, but none has yet been delivered," he said. We urgently want additional funding for the dengue action plan, the coordinator declared.

 

Dr. Qasim continued by saying that while the government was working to educate the public about dengue, individuals should also play a role by spreading the word about the illness' risks, which he described as their "civic duty."

Dengue Outbreak in Pakistan