Snowy Owl
Retired in 2010, In Memoriam
Sindh given technical support to combat Dengue fever
http://www.thenews.com.pk/print1.asp?id=28301
http://www.thenews.com.pk/print1.asp?id=28301
ISLAMABAD: In response to reports of incidence of Hemorrhagic fever in Karachi, the Ministry of Health deputed a joint team comprising experts from the National Institute of Health, Directorate of Malaria Control Programme, and the World Health Organisation to assess the situation and carry out epidemiological investigations.
The team visited Liaquat National Hospital, Civil Hospital, Zia-ud-Din Hospital and Aga Khan University to gather detailed information about cases admitted and determine the disease trend and geographical distribution of the cases.
In view of the situation obtained, a central focal point was established at the office of the Sindh health secretary for monitoring and surveillance of Dengue fever cases with Capt Dr Abdul Majid, additional secretary health, as in-charge focal person.
All five hospitals were recommended to work as sentinel sites, which would generate and disseminate VHF data to the Health Department at the focal point on a daily basis for onward transmission to HIN for monitoring the situation.
Training sessions were conducted at three places for the senior health managers of the province. The record of the five hospitals showed 371 cases and 16 deaths in the current spell due to the disease during the spike with a case fatality rate of 4.3 per cent. This time the disease was not limited to the low line poverty-stricken areas of Landhi and Malir as was observed last year (Nov-Dec 2006) but rather it spread to different parts of Karachi city also involving even the posh localities like Defence Housing Authority.
The team of experts recommended the following to control the current Dengue Hemorrhagic fever outbreak and prevent any future epidemics: the breeding sites should be removed, clean water kept in open containers, buckets, pitches, saucers and flower and money plant holding open posts inside the houses. Management of cases in centres according to the recommended protocol for Dengue Hemorrhagic fever including careful monitoring and reporting.
Information be conveyed to public through the media and lady health workers for the use of personal protection against mosquitoes with bed-nets, repellents and other protective measures. Cases be traced for residual sprays of all the houses, by an effective insecticide to destroy the mosquitoes when they are resting on the walls by the city government in the entire city dwellings that are reporting maximum number of cases.
The team visited Liaquat National Hospital, Civil Hospital, Zia-ud-Din Hospital and Aga Khan University to gather detailed information about cases admitted and determine the disease trend and geographical distribution of the cases.
In view of the situation obtained, a central focal point was established at the office of the Sindh health secretary for monitoring and surveillance of Dengue fever cases with Capt Dr Abdul Majid, additional secretary health, as in-charge focal person.
All five hospitals were recommended to work as sentinel sites, which would generate and disseminate VHF data to the Health Department at the focal point on a daily basis for onward transmission to HIN for monitoring the situation.
Training sessions were conducted at three places for the senior health managers of the province. The record of the five hospitals showed 371 cases and 16 deaths in the current spell due to the disease during the spike with a case fatality rate of 4.3 per cent. This time the disease was not limited to the low line poverty-stricken areas of Landhi and Malir as was observed last year (Nov-Dec 2006) but rather it spread to different parts of Karachi city also involving even the posh localities like Defence Housing Authority.
The team of experts recommended the following to control the current Dengue Hemorrhagic fever outbreak and prevent any future epidemics: the breeding sites should be removed, clean water kept in open containers, buckets, pitches, saucers and flower and money plant holding open posts inside the houses. Management of cases in centres according to the recommended protocol for Dengue Hemorrhagic fever including careful monitoring and reporting.
Information be conveyed to public through the media and lady health workers for the use of personal protection against mosquitoes with bed-nets, repellents and other protective measures. Cases be traced for residual sprays of all the houses, by an effective insecticide to destroy the mosquitoes when they are resting on the walls by the city government in the entire city dwellings that are reporting maximum number of cases.