Health department to launch awareness drive soon

The district health department is busy in finalising arrangements for launching an effective awareness campaign at grassroots level to convince individuals to 

take preventive and control measures well in time to check breeding of mosquitoes ‘aedes aegypti’, the vector that causes dengue fever.

The city district government has already chalked out a plan for launching awareness campaign against dengue fever and roles and responsibilities have been assigned to all district allied department in this regard, said Executive District Officer (Health) Dr. Arshad Ali Sabir while talking to ‘The News’ on Sunday.

He said various localities in Rawal Town, Pothohar Town and areas falling under jurisdiction of cantonment boards have been assigned to allied departments for launching awareness campaign there while the district health department would launch awareness campaign all across district.

To a query, he said there are two suitable seasons for ‘aedes aegypti’ to spread dengue fever, one in April to May and the second from September to November, however, it is observed that in the past, dengue fever outbreaks occur in August or September in this region of the country. “Keeping the fact in mind, the health department has planned a comprehensive strategy to avoid dengue fever outbreak in both the seasons.”

He said the teams of district health department were busy in carrying out activities under anti-polio drive last week however from Monday (today), the teams would again be in the field for carrying out extensive activities in all seven tehsils of the district to avoid breeding of larvae of ‘aedes aegypti’.

He said the teams of district health department would not perform sprinkling of larvicide on possible breeding sites of mosquitoes in open at least for another one week due to expected rain spells. The rain spoils the chemicals sprayed on stagnant water in open, he said.

He said that the district health department has planned to display banners and billboards carrying instructions on how to avoid dengue fever. The awareness campaign would be launched in the beginning of April and along with displaying banners and billboards, the health department would distribute pamphlets too, he said.

He added that the district health department has already listed as many as 6,500 hotspots that may serve as possible breeding sites for larvae of mosquitoes. The listed hotspots would be treated with chemical on regular basis to avoid breeding of larvae, he said.

Dr. Arshad said the district health department would launch awareness campaign in all seven tehsils of the district including Taxila, Murree, Gujar Khan, Kallar Syedan, Kotli Satyan, Kahuta and Rawalpindi along with Rawal Town, Potohar Town and areas falling under jurisdiction of cantonment boards.