PESHAWAR: The efforts of the Health Department and cooperation of the people helped decline in the number of dengue cases in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as only 156 cases have been reported in September 2023 as compared to 6017 confirmed cases across the province in September 2022, health officials said here on Sunday.
The Secretary Health Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mahmood Aslam Wazir has attributed the achievement to timely efforts by the Health Department and full cooperation of the public. He has appealed to the public not to underestimate dengue considering the seasonal conditions and to continue their efforts to control and prevent it together.
Secretary Health further explained that medical entomologists throughout the province are playing a technical role, particularly in dengue control and prevention. He said that in last week a total of 312,760 households were inspected across the province, out of which 710 households tested positive for dengue larvae, and they were promptly treated chemically and mechanically.
Similarly, Health Department teams shared precautionary messages and raised awareness about dengue control and prevention with 54,292 individuals in various areas, reaching 285,237 women with messages for dengue prevention and awareness through Lady Health Workers. In areas where dengue-positive locations and cases were identified, 63 seminars and awareness sessions were held at different locations, and 19,533 brochures related to dengue infection were distributed during dengue sessions.
Secretary health expressed special thanks to the Divisional Commoner’s, Deputy Commissioners, honorable religious scholars and volunteers of civil defense.
He said that they all played their important roles in creating awareness among people about dengue, standing shoulder to shoulder with the Health Department. Secretary health shared that the honorable religious scholars discussed the benefits of cleanliness and hygiene in special sermons on Friday.
Similarly, the volunteers of civil defense went door-to-door, meeting people and educating them about the dangers of the dengue virus and how to prevent it.
Secretary Health emphasized that this entire process was impossible without the cooperation of the public and urged them to support the Health Department in this endeavor, collaborate with their teams, so that our province can be free from these dangerous diseases.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023