While measles claimed one more life on Wednesday, raising the total death toll to 189 in the province so far, dengue has not been such a problem this season, with only 11 confirmed cases reported all year.
According to Punjab Health Department officials, the measles death was reported from Lodhran and the victim was identified as four-year-old Sobia.
Around 66 new cases of measles have been reported from Punjab, including eight from the city’s hospitals, increasing the total number of cases to 22,479 over the last six months.
Punjab Chief Secretary Javed Aslam has also directed District Coordination Committees to review the situation of both measles and dengue in the province at their weekly meetings, under the chairmanship of concerned district coordination officers (DCOs).
Aslam gave these instructions while presiding over a high level meeting addressing the spread of both diseases that was held on Wednesday. Speaking there, Punjab Secretary of Health Hassan Iqbal said that the department’s current anti-measles campaign has already vaccinated 20,200,000 children in 24 districts of the province. He added that steps for implementing the campaign in the remaining 12 districts have been finalized for after Eid-ul-Fitr.
The meeting was also attended by the additional chief secretary, secretaries of concerned departments, divisional commissioners, Health Department officers and former Special Assistant to the Chief Minister Khawaja Salman Rafiq.
The health secretary noted that there has been a substantial reduction in measles cases thanks to effective steps taken by the Health Department. He further added that there have only been 11 confirmed cases of dengue disease between January and July of this year, and effective steps are being taken for vector surveillance and larviciding by the Health Department.
During the meeting, the divisional commissioners explained the anti-dengue steps being taken in their concerned divisions, and the availability of spray pumps, machinery and the chemicals being used for the spray.
The chief secretary also noted that every year, the period between July and November is significant for the spread of dengue, therefore there is a dire need for the concerned institutions to focus on it and take necessary action to institutionalize the process.
Aslam said that, due to the blessings of Allah, there has been effective control over dengue so far with the support of the people and effective efforts by the government. He added, however, that they still need to ensure the continuation of these effective steps.
Former Special Assistant to Chief Minister Punjab for Health, Kh. Salman Rafiq instructed health authorities to get analyzed samples of dengue mosquito to ascertain the stereotype virus. He also directed further activating the research section of the Institute of Public Health (IPH).
