F.P. Report
PESHAWAR: The Secretary Health Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mahmood Aslam Wazir Sunday stated that due to timely efforts by the Health Department and full cooperation from the public, there have been significantly fewer cases of dengue reported this year compared to last year, which is a positive development.
He has appealed to the public not to underestimate dengue considering the seasonal conditions and to continue their efforts to control and prevent it together.
According to the statistics from the Health Department, as of September 2022, there were 6017 confirmed dengue cases reported across the province, while as of September 2023, there are only 156 reported cases, which is a result of the Health Department’s timely actions.
Secretary Health further explained that medical entomologists throughout the province are playing a technical role, particularly in dengue control and prevention.
He revealed that last week a total of 312,760 households were inspected across the province, out of which 710 households tested positive for dengue larvae, and they were promptly treated chemically and mechanically.
Similarly, Health Department teams shared precautionary messages and raised awareness about dengue control and prevention with 54,292 individuals in various areas, reaching 285,237 women with messages for dengue prevention and awareness through Lady Health Workers (LHW).
In areas where dengue-positive locations and cases were identified, 63 seminars and awareness sessions were held at different locations, and 19,533 brochures related to dengue infection were distributed during dengue sessions.
Secretary health expressed special thanks to the Divisional Commoner’s, Deputy Commissioners, honorable religious scholars and volunteers of civil defense.
He said that they all played their important roles in creating awareness among people about dengue, standing shoulder to shoulder with the Health Department.
He shared that the honorable religious scholars discussed the benefits of cleanliness and hygiene in special sermons on Friday. Similarly, the volunteers of civil defense went door-to-door, meeting people and educating them about the dangers of the dengue virus and how to prevent it.
He emphasized that this entire process was impossible without the cooperation of the public and urged them to support the Health Department in this endeavor, collaborate with their teams, so that our province can be free from these dangerous diseases.