Amid rising dengue cases, health dept focuses on public awareness

PESHAWAR: As dengue cases surge in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, health authorities are emphasizing public awareness and bolstering efforts to eliminate mosquito breeding grounds to prevent outbreaks as the disease's peak season commences. According to a weekly report from the Integrated Diseases Surveillance and Response System, the number of confirmed dengue cases in the province climbed from 392 last week to 478, with 86 additional cases reported this week compared to 53 last week.

Officials noted that the province had entered an endemic phase, resulting in a higher number of recorded cases annually. In the past week, Peshawar reported 177 cases, followed by Kohat with 151, Bannu with 31, and Haripur with 21, while other districts recorded single-digit infections. This week, Kohat recorded the highest number of cases at 33, followed by Peshawar and Bannu with 12 and 21 cases, respectively.

Rising temperatures could exacerbate case counts, making public awareness crucial to prevent outbreaks. The primary prevention measures include using bed nets to avoid mosquito bites and eliminating standing water, which serves as mosquito breeding sites. To address this, over 15,000 lady health workers have been deployed across the province to visit dengue hotspots and educate women on the dangers of unsafe indoor water storage.

Additionally, more entomologists have been stationed in affected areas, and surveillance has been strengthened through increased testing of suspected dengue patients using rapid diagnostic kits. As of now, 2,697 suspected dengue patients have been tested, with 10 percent of the confirmed cases referred to a public health reference lab for PCR testing to identify the virus type.

The health minister, Khaliqur Rehman, chaired a meeting reviewing the dengue situation, with district health officers expressing satisfaction regarding the availability of necessary resources to control the outbreak. However, health officials stressed that the situation was under control, and no widespread dengue outbreak was anticipated in the province.

They highlighted that only 10 percent of the confirmed cases underwent PCR testing. The officials emphasized that despite repeated requests, medical teaching institutions have not been sharing "line lists" of dengue patients with the department, hindering data collection for strategic planning. Peshawar, being the epicenter of the dengue problem, remains a significant public health concern, necessitating robust data for effective disease control and prevention efforts.