PESHAWAR:
As the federal government grapples with burgeoning public expenditure amidst a deepening monetary disaster, a delay in funding for dengue prevention dangers instigating a well being disaster.
Based on the Dengue Management Supervisor, Dr. Qasim Afridi, the federal government has delayed transferring funds value Rs350 million for the prevention and consciousness marketing campaign for dengue.
This comes as a bolt out of the blue for the well being authorities who had been anticipating additional help from the federal government following the latest rise in circumstances of dengue fever.
“Dengue circumstances often peak through the months of April and Could in Ok-P, nevertheless 10 have already been reported simply in the beginning of March,” mentioned a supply from the Well being Division.
Whereas dengue fever poses a risk to the well being and security of all residents, these residing in areas like Peshawar, Mardan, Haripur, Khyber and Nowshera face a doubled risk given the topography of the areas the place standing our bodies of glacial water act as breeding grounds for the larvae of the dengue mosquitos.
Subsequently, in case preventative measures usually are not taken beforehand for eliminating the larvae in these areas, the virus dangers spreading into different close by areas.
As Ali Khan, a neighborhood from the Palosai space of Peshawar confirmed, “A majority of the dengue circumstances reported from Ok-P originated in our locality. Why does the federal government not take the matter critically,” he questioned.
The direness of the scenario is clear in the truth that as much as 23,000 dengue circumstances together with 18 deaths had been reported in Ok-P final yr.
Whereas Dr. Afridi asserts that the healthcare system in Ok-P is supplied to cope with a dengue epidemic, he nonetheless stresses the significance of stopping an outbreak within the first place, since as soon as the illness turns into endemic, it might set off a disaster past the countering capabilities of the hospitals.
Subsequently, with the intention to actualize the preventative targets, the Larva Surveillance marketing campaign had been initiated throughout the province from January 2023 onwards, with weekly conferences being held involving the Deputy Commissioner and District Well being Officer,” mentioned Dr Afridi.
In these campaigns locals had been educated on the methods by which dengue will be prevented, particularly almost about the utilization of mosquito nets and repellants. On an analogous word, fogging and spraying was carried out on a big scale to destroy the larva in stagnant water.
Following the federal government’s incapacity to ship funds on time, the Larva Surveillance Marketing campaign needed to make the most of final yr’s funds value Rs104 million.
“Whereas our groups are educating most of the people to the very best of our talents, the federal government should notice its duties in the direction of the individuals and should spend money on their well-being by transferring the allotted funds in a well timed method,” concluded Dr Afridi.
Revealed in The Categorical Tribune, March 20th, 2023.
