Health department steps in as dengue cases rise in Kohat

PESHAWAR - The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa health department has ordered the Kohat district administration to level recently demolished Afghan refugee camps in order to eliminate stagnant water and prevent mosquito breeding, following a rise in dengue cases in the area. During a meeting, health officials discussed the dengue situation in the province, noting that Kohat reported the highest number of cases after Peshawar.

The decision to level the camps was made due to the potential for stagnant water to serve as breeding grounds for mosquitoes that transmit dengue. Health officials have also alerted hospitals and allocated isolation beds in case of an outbreak. While there is no current dengue outbreak in Kohat, hospitals have been prepared to handle any potential cases.

A weekly report from the Integrated Diseases Surveillance and Response System revealed that the province-wide tally of confirmed dengue cases increased from 339 to 392. Peshawar led the list with 165 cases, followed by Kohat with 118, Bannu with 19, and Mansehra with 18.