The government of Punjab has decided to devise a five-year strategic plan to control dengue virus that is spreading in Pakistan, especially in the province with every passing day. Well-placed sources told Business Recorder, here on Saturday, that an action plan would be in place till September 30 and forwarded to Punjab government for approval in this regard.
The plan will include the ways and means by which the virus could be controlled and eventually eliminated from Pakistan. Experts from World Health Organisation (WHO) and provincial health department would prepare the plan and after its approval, PC I would be designed. "Mosquitoes have become more resistant to insecticides amid concerns over serious spread of dengue fever. The government needs about 0.1 million kg of insecticides in the next few days while just 1,000 kg pesticide is available at present", sources disclosed.
They said that WHO has already advised the government to use pre-qualified insecticides to be used even for spray on agriculture products. These are being sprayed by the provincial and federal governments but the results are not promising. "All efforts to control female aedes aegypti mosquitoes are futile and it is feared that the dengue fever may spread in coming days in Pakistan", sources revealed.
Every year, over 50 million people living in tropical and subtropical urban and semi-urban areas get infected with dengue (a mosquito-borne viral infection) and several hundred thousand develop a potentially lethal complication called dengue haemorrhage fever. Dengue is caused by four closely related viruses that are transmitted to people through the bites of infected insects. A high fever (105 degrees Fahrenheit), severe body pain, itching, red spots, bleeding from nose, teeth and severe pain behind eyes are the main symptoms of dengue.
Avoiding mosquitoes bite is the major precaution against dengue fever. People should take following precautions to combat dengue fever before it is too late: Keep home, environment and surrounding clean, remove all stagnant water and containers, keep drains well maintained and repair chokes, avoid accumulation of groundwater, fill up all defective grounds, use repellents to avoid mosquito bite, use screen to prevent mosquito attack, use aerosols and coils to kill mosquitoes and use net while sleeping.
Comments
Comments are closed for this article.