Measures to prevent any outbreak of dengue fever and malaria have been intensified in Karachi, City Commissioner Roshan Ali Sheikh said on Sunday.
“Equal attention is being given to fumigation and removal of garbage dumps as well as regular spray of insecticides on water puddles,” he added.
In a meeting with a delegation of technical experts from Turkey, the commissioner said 858 confirmed cases of dengue fever were registered in Karachi during 2011 while during the current year, 29 cases have been reported at different local hospitals so far with no mortality rate.
“These patients have been discharged after complete recovery,” he added.
Sheikh attributed the controlled situation to a massive and well-chalked out public awareness campaign focused on prevention within the homes as dengue vector mosquitoes breed in clean water.
Expressing his gratitude for the Turkish delegation’s offer to help health and municipal departments in the prevention of dengue fever, he said it was the close coordination among different departments, as well timely measures that have averted the outbreak of the fatal disease.
The commissioner said the changing environmental conditions have turned dengue fever into a constant threat in urban areas and also rural settings, including urban slums, vulnerable to malaria.
“It is therefore necessary that people are actively involved to protect themselves against mosquito- induced diseases that are also closely linked to hygiene conditions,” he noted.
Sheikh identified public awareness as well as constant vigilance on part of health workers as a crucial element to protect people against dengue fever and said the disease’s intensity can significantly be reduced, instantly bringing a decline in the associated mortality as well as morbidity rates.
Karachi Additional Commissioner Abdul Wahab Soomro, Dengue Fever Control Cell Focal person, Dr. Shakil A Mullick and Health District Officer Dr Aslam Pervez were also present on the occasion.
