PESHAWAR: Secretary Health KP, Mahmood Aslam has said that 747 dengue cases were confirmed in the provincial during the outgoing calendar year 2023.

In a statement issued here on Tuesday, the Secretary Health KP said that there were 20,566 suspected cases of dengue. However, after screening 19,013 cases, the virus was confirmed in only 747 individuals. Notably, no fatalities have been recorded due to dengue this year.

As compared to the 22,960 cases reported last year, the current figure of 747 cases indicates a significant 97% reduction.

Secretary Health KP, Mahmood Aslam highlighted that despite limited resources and funding, Civil defense and other line departments have demonstrated improved efficiency in tackling dengue. He emphasized that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa reports the lowest number of dengue cases in the entire country.

Furthermore, Mahmood Aslam shared that over 10 million homes were checked as part of the dengue prevention campaign. Dengue larvicides were used in more than 9,000 homes where the presence of dengue larvae was confirmed. Additionally, the examination of over three million potential larval habitats took place.

Regarding awareness initiatives, Mahmood Aslam stated that Lady Health Visitors delivered over 200,000 awareness messages as part of the Dengue Awareness Campaign. A total of 4,462 awareness sessions including Dengue Awareness Walks and lectures were conducted.

He also commended the religious leaders, divisional and districts administrations and the health department employees for successfully limiting dengue cases to 747.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023