In response to reports of incidence of Hemorrhagic Fever in Karachi, the Ministry of Health deputed a joint team comprising experts from National Institute of Health, Directorate of Malaria Control Program and the World Health Organisation to assess the situation and carry out epidemiological investigations.
The team visited Liaquat National Hospital, Civil Hospital, Ziauddin Hospital and Agha Khan University to gather detailed information about cases admitted and determine the disease trend and geographical distribution of the cases.
In view of the situation obtained, a Central Focal Point was established at the office of the Secretary Health Sindh for monitoring and surveillance of Dengue Fever cases with Captain Dr Abdul Majid Additional Secretary Health as In-charge Focal Person.
All five hospitals were recommended to work as sentinel sites, which would generate and disseminate VHF data to the Health department at the focal point on daily basis for onward transmission to HIN for monitoring the situation. Training sessions were conducted at three places for the senior health managers of the province.
The record of the five hospitals showed 371 cases and 16 deaths in the current spell due to the disease during the spike with a case fatality rate of 4.3%.
This time the disease was not limited to the low line poverty stricken areas of Landhi and Malir as was observed last year (November-December 2006) but rather it spread to different parts of Karachi city also involving even the posh localities like Defence Housing Authority.
The team of experts recommended the following to control the current Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever outbreak and prevent any future epidemics. The breeding sites should be removed, clean water kept in open containers, buckets, pitches, saucers and flower and money plant holding open posts inside the houses.
Management of cases in centres according to the recommended protocol for Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever including careful monitoring and reporting. Information be conveyed to public through media and lady health workers for the use of personal protection against mosquitoes with bed-nets, repellents and other protective measures.
Cases be traced for residual sprays of all the houses, by an effective insecticide to destroy the mosquitoes when they are resting on the walls by the city government in the entire city dwellings that are reporting maximum number of cases.
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