National Institutes of Health (NIH) Islamabad issued advisory regarding prevention & control of Dengue Fever
Keeping in view the seasonal trends of Dengue Fever, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) of National Institutes of Health (NIH) Islamabad issued advisory regarding prevention & control of Dengue Fever.
The objective of the advisory is to sensitize human and animal health care authorities to further strengthen and improve the level of preparedness in prevention and control of the disease before the alert season.
According to the advisory, Dengue is a viral disease transmitted by mosquitoes of the genus Aedes (Aedes aegypti & Aedes albopictus). It is endemic in almost all geographical regions of Pakistan and there are substantial evidences that its multiple serotypes are circulating in the different areas of the country. Despite patchy surveillance, a total of 52,929 cases and 224 deaths were reported in 2021, while in 2022, we have reported approximately 79,007 confirmed cases of Dengue with 149 deaths. This year, since January 2023 Pakistan has reported 3,019 suspected cases and 8 deaths in IDSR reporting system۔
It is imperative to work on prevention while staying vigilant for detection of cases and ensuring preparedness to launch response activities for curtailing the transmission of dengue fever disease. This advisory is therefore, intended to facilitate the healthcare authorities and professionals in effectively dealing the potential challenge during the Dengue season. The advisory also calls upon hospitals to build their capacity for management of patients, to keep rapid response arrangements in place, and to maintain regular liaison with relevant departments/stakeholders.
As said by the advisory, the following precautions should be taken to prevent dengue fever:
• Adopt personal protection measures like wearing long-sleeved clothes, use of mosquito repellent lotions/sprays, use of mosquito repellent coils.
• Use bed nets while sleeping outside in open environment.
• Use mesh screens on windows.
Editor: Raja Kamran