During the Great War, a pamphlet was issued in the army. With the title (in what was called Roman Urdu) “Is makhi ko maro”. The army authorities had been encouraged to publish this by the fact that many soldiers were suffering from dysentery, typhoid and stomach complaints. Most of those troubles arose from food and drink containing impurities and germs and those germs were carried on to the food in most cases by the ordinary fly. In war diseases caused by the fly and its infection caused more casualties on the whole than the bullets and bombs of the enemy.
This has become a huge problem for Pakistan especially given the advent of summers and poor sanitation facilities throughout the country. Flies and mosquitoes have been the cause of many epidemics, most notably the dengue one recently and other such as malaria.
The fly must be declared an enemy. Around our houses, no rubbish or waste food must be left in which it can breed. Our food must be kept covered and our houses sprayed with some insecticide.
We must refuse to buy from shopkeepers who allow their goods to be exposed to swarms of flies, and we must explain this to them. Only by such vigorous steps can our health and the health of our family be safeguarded.
KOMAL ATA
Lahore
