Officials from the Ministry of CADD have informed that it was feared dengue might hit Islamabad along with others parts of the country in mid July due to absence of a solid waste management system and uneven pattern of weather.
Parliamentary Secretary of Capital Administration & Development Division, Raja Muhammad Javed Ikhlas, said on Friday that preventive measures must be taken like ensuring a proper and efficient system for waste dumping and improving the waste management system.
In a meeting which was attended by the representatives from CA&DD, Capital Development Authority (CDA), Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT), Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) and Polyclinic the Parliamentary Secretary (CA&DD), Raja Muhammad Javed Ikhlas pointed out that to avoid from the menace of dengue the dengue prevention activities must be carried out, including creating awareness about dengue and its symptoms and the ways to combat it.
He added that though evidence based activities like larvicidal exercises and sprays have been performed in the past years to combat dengue, this year, too, the exercises must be repeated.
He said among the main causes of dengue outbreak are rain, rising temperature, humidity and infected travellers. He added that a serious notice should be taken in this regard on all levels like to create awareness among the students and parents regarding the prevention of dengue.
Doctor Dur Sherani told Pakistan Today that due to climate change and uneven pattern of weather and owing to other multiple causes the curse of dengue might break out in Islamabad and it can only be fought through capacity building, social mobilisation and multi-sectoral collaboration.