2011 dengue outbreak in Pakistan
Encyclopedia
Dengue fever
is increasingly becoming an epidemic
in Pakistan
. Due to the high cost of treatment, the disease spread more rapidly in 2011 than in previous years. It has attracted the attention of the Government of Pakistan
, especially the Punjab Government since it is widespread in that particular province of the country. As of November 2011, it has killed over 300 people in the last several months and over 14,000 are infected by this mosquito
born disease. Majority of the people infected are from the Lahore
area in Punjab, Pakistan.
, the provincial metropolis of Punjab. Early reports showed that more then 170 people have died and several hundreds are admitted as new cases are confirmed.
and Punjab, Pakistan
are working on the preventive measures to reduce the spread of the epidemic. The Government of Punjab has opened a hotline called Punjab Health Line Project For Dengue which can be reached at 0800-99000. This is to facilitate the circulation on the signs and symptoms of dengue, reach for help for suspected cases and ultimately help identify areas where the epidemic may have reached. Spraying teams have been organized for the purpose of fumigating, spraying and fogging areas where the Aedes
mosquitoes have known to infect people with the virus. Directions are in place for spraying especially in educational institutes. The government threatened to take action against any private school that did not observe to take these measures. Mobile teams operate around the clock to treat affectees on the spot in rural areas. A Special Tribunal for dengue directly reports to the provincial government. Chairman Dengue Emergency Response Committee Khwaja Saad Rafique has also advised private schools to spray twice a week. In early September 2011, the Government of Punjab
ordered the schools, colleges and universities in the Pakistan to close down for 10 days for intensive spraying. Article 144 has been implemented in Lahore
for the prevention of dengue. After an appeal by the Punjab, Pakistan
, private hospitals have agreed to provide free treatment to dengue patients
for relief. The Pakistan Air Force
is also actively participating in the efforts.
himself arrived at local universities to hand out pamphlets on dengue fever and prevention. He held a telephonic seminar in Alhmara Hall in Lahore
regarding the outbreak. A seminar was also held in Hyderabad
by the local authorities. Various other awareness programs are held in colleges and schools and teachers are urged to educate students regarding this matter. The 24 hour government sponsored online service of the Punjab Health Line Project For Dengue provides information on the recent dengue outbreak and how to remove the threat using prevention methods.
A group of 12 doctors from Sri Lanka
came to Lahore
for assisting in the fight against dengue fever.- The Indonesia
n government dispatched a medical team comprising 20 dengue virus of dengue experts to assist Pakistani authorities in their fight against the outbreak.
Dengue fever
Dengue fever , also known as breakbone fever, is an infectious tropical disease caused by the dengue virus. Symptoms include fever, headache, muscle and joint pains, and a characteristic skin rash that is similar to measles...
is increasingly becoming an epidemic
Epidemic
In epidemiology, an epidemic , occurs when new cases of a certain disease, in a given human population, and during a given period, substantially exceed what is expected based on recent experience...
in Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
. Due to the high cost of treatment, the disease spread more rapidly in 2011 than in previous years. It has attracted the attention of the Government of Pakistan
Government of Pakistan
The Government of Pakistan is a federal parliamentary system, with an indirectly-elected President as the Head of State and Commander in Chief of the Pakistani Armed Forces, and an indirectly-elected Prime Minister as the Head of Government. The President’s appointment and term are...
, especially the Punjab Government since it is widespread in that particular province of the country. As of November 2011, it has killed over 300 people in the last several months and over 14,000 are infected by this mosquito
Mosquito
Mosquitoes are members of a family of nematocerid flies: the Culicidae . The word Mosquito is from the Spanish and Portuguese for little fly...
born disease. Majority of the people infected are from the Lahore
Lahore
Lahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in the country. With a rich and fabulous history dating back to over a thousand years ago, Lahore is no doubt Pakistan's cultural capital. One of the most densely populated cities in the world, Lahore remains a...
area in Punjab, Pakistan.
Death and casualties
In November 2010, more then 21,204 people were reportedly infected. Those infected are mainly from Punjab, Pakistan. Patients are primarily admitted to government hospitals. For dengue patients, special wards have being arranged. The severity of the disease is felt in LahoreLahore
Lahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in the country. With a rich and fabulous history dating back to over a thousand years ago, Lahore is no doubt Pakistan's cultural capital. One of the most densely populated cities in the world, Lahore remains a...
, the provincial metropolis of Punjab. Early reports showed that more then 170 people have died and several hundreds are admitted as new cases are confirmed.
- Secretary Punjab Mineral Development Corporation, Ataullah Siddiqui and Ghiasuddin, a Member of the Punjab Public Service Commission died as a result of the Dengue fever.
- On September 30, 2011, Punjab MPA Mumtaz JajjaMumtaz JajjaChaudhry Mumtaz Ahmed Jajja was a Pakistani politician affiliated with the Pakistan Muslim League political party who served as a member of the National Assembly of Pakistan from 1985 to 1988 and as an elected member of the Provincial Assembly of Punjab following the 2008 general elections.An...
also died of dengue fever in Lahore.
- Eight (8 ChineseChinaChinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
engineers have been affected by the virus.
Government response
Government of PakistanGovernment of Pakistan
The Government of Pakistan is a federal parliamentary system, with an indirectly-elected President as the Head of State and Commander in Chief of the Pakistani Armed Forces, and an indirectly-elected Prime Minister as the Head of Government. The President’s appointment and term are...
and Punjab, Pakistan
Government of Punjab
The Government of Punjab , a provincial government in the federal structure of Pakistan, is based in Lahore, the capital of the Punjab Province....
are working on the preventive measures to reduce the spread of the epidemic. The Government of Punjab has opened a hotline called Punjab Health Line Project For Dengue which can be reached at 0800-99000. This is to facilitate the circulation on the signs and symptoms of dengue, reach for help for suspected cases and ultimately help identify areas where the epidemic may have reached. Spraying teams have been organized for the purpose of fumigating, spraying and fogging areas where the Aedes
Aedes
Aedes is a genus of mosquito originally found in tropical and subtropical zones, but now found on all continents excluding Antarctica. Some species have been spread by human activity. Aedes albopictus, a most invasive species was recently spread to the New World, including the U.S., by the used...
mosquitoes have known to infect people with the virus. Directions are in place for spraying especially in educational institutes. The government threatened to take action against any private school that did not observe to take these measures. Mobile teams operate around the clock to treat affectees on the spot in rural areas. A Special Tribunal for dengue directly reports to the provincial government. Chairman Dengue Emergency Response Committee Khwaja Saad Rafique has also advised private schools to spray twice a week. In early September 2011, the Government of Punjab
Government of Punjab
The Government of Punjab , a provincial government in the federal structure of Pakistan, is based in Lahore, the capital of the Punjab Province....
ordered the schools, colleges and universities in the Pakistan to close down for 10 days for intensive spraying. Article 144 has been implemented in Lahore
Lahore
Lahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in the country. With a rich and fabulous history dating back to over a thousand years ago, Lahore is no doubt Pakistan's cultural capital. One of the most densely populated cities in the world, Lahore remains a...
for the prevention of dengue. After an appeal by the Punjab, Pakistan
Government of Punjab
The Government of Punjab , a provincial government in the federal structure of Pakistan, is based in Lahore, the capital of the Punjab Province....
, private hospitals have agreed to provide free treatment to dengue patients
Reaction by Pakistan Armed Forces
pakistani forces always play positive and active role in the all matter of country,for the sake of bettrement of the country.In this problem the Pakistan Armed Forces is also involved in the fight to control dengue. It is actively engaged in increasing public awareness. It has set up 300 camps in LahoreLahore
Lahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in the country. With a rich and fabulous history dating back to over a thousand years ago, Lahore is no doubt Pakistan's cultural capital. One of the most densely populated cities in the world, Lahore remains a...
for relief. The Pakistan Air Force
Pakistan Air Force
The Pakistan Air Force is the leading air arm of the Pakistan Armed Forces and is primarily tasked with the aerial defence of Pakistan with a secondary role of providing air support to the Pakistan Army and the Pakistan Navy. The PAF also has a tertiary role of providing strategic air transport...
is also actively participating in the efforts.
Awareness
Punjab government stated that it is working to increase public awareness on the dengue outbreak. In an awareness drive, Shahbaz SharifShahbaz Sharif
Mian Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif is a well-known conservative Pakistani politician and currently President of Pakistan Muslim League . He is the brother of Nawaz Sharif, former Prime Minister of Pakistan. He is the chief minister of Pakistan's most populous province Punjab since 2008...
himself arrived at local universities to hand out pamphlets on dengue fever and prevention. He held a telephonic seminar in Alhmara Hall in Lahore
Lahore
Lahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in the country. With a rich and fabulous history dating back to over a thousand years ago, Lahore is no doubt Pakistan's cultural capital. One of the most densely populated cities in the world, Lahore remains a...
regarding the outbreak. A seminar was also held in Hyderabad
Hyderabad, Sindh
is the second largest city in the Sindh province of Pakistan. It is the seventh largest city in the country. The city was founded in 1768 by Mian Ghulam Shah Kalhoro upon the ruins of a Mauryan fishing village along the bank of the Indus known as Neroon Kot...
by the local authorities. Various other awareness programs are held in colleges and schools and teachers are urged to educate students regarding this matter. The 24 hour government sponsored online service of the Punjab Health Line Project For Dengue provides information on the recent dengue outbreak and how to remove the threat using prevention methods.
International reactions
- Government of Sri Lanka promised assistance in the form of medicines and staff to Punjab.The team has departed back to Sri LankaSri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
A group of 12 doctors from Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
came to Lahore
Lahore
Lahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in the country. With a rich and fabulous history dating back to over a thousand years ago, Lahore is no doubt Pakistan's cultural capital. One of the most densely populated cities in the world, Lahore remains a...
for assisting in the fight against dengue fever.- The Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
n government dispatched a medical team comprising 20 dengue virus of dengue experts to assist Pakistani authorities in their fight against the outbreak.
- The World Health OrganizationWorld Health OrganizationThe World Health Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations that acts as a coordinating authority on international public health. Established on 7 April 1948, with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, the agency inherited the mandate and resources of its predecessor, the Health...
(WHO) is providing technical guidance along with support for provincial and territorial dengue monitoring and coordination committees.