Defeat dengue virus in Pakistan

Ahmed Ali, a good friend of mine, passed away five years ago at the age of 22. He was a brilliant student with many achievements in his academic career and a number of co-curricular activities under his belt. He was a down-to-earth person with a passion to help others in need. His sudden death shocked me, his family members and many friends who were all distraught at how he left the world behind him with so many memories and unfulfilled dreams.

It was hard to believe that his death was brought about by a tiny mosquito whose venomous bite caused high fever, nausea and other symptoms for a few days and ultimately released his soul out of body. Though, it was a tragic loss to his family and friends who knew him personally, it also cost the nation heavily that such a talented person departed the world without benefiting its people with his talent.

Unfortunately, he’s not alone. There are many others who have fallen prey to dengue and paid with their lives.

Since 2010, Pakistan has been experiencing an epidemic of dengue fever with major outbreaks in 2011 and 2013. In the last 5 years over 60, 000 people have been affected including children. Despite concerted efforts by the Government of Pakistan to control the incidence of dengue, as many as 9,370 cases were reported in 2015. That amounts to 25 cases every single day, which is shocking to believe.

Most of these cases originated from semi urban areas and major metropolitan cities while unplanned settlements and rural areas equally fell prey to the consequences of the disease.

Without a viable cure in sight, the option of prevention seems to be the only effective measure against the virus. However, this requires the government, the people and other stakeholders to make integrated efforts to protect against dengue.

Recently, I got an opportunity to witness a campaign related to dengue awareness. During the on-ground activity, a female instructor was explaining to the women of the area in Qayyumabad about preventive measures for dengue. As part of Mortein’s Dengue Se Paak Pakistan campaign such activities are being conducted in various high-risk dengue areas across Pakistan. It was quite interactive but needs to be done in more different areas.

The awareness teams assemble residents of the area to explain preventive measures that can be taken against dengue which include:

1. a) Covering water containers and getting rid of stagnant water puddles
2. b) Clearing trash to keep surroundings clean
3. c) Ensuring safety and guarding against mosquitoes through anti-mosquito products.

I met Afnan Yaqin, Senior Brand Manager Mortein, who told me about the ‘Dengue Se Paak Pakistan’ campaign being run by Mortein in collaboration with Plan International and provincial/federal governments. The campaign’s mission is to reduce the incidence of dengue from Pakistan.

This activity in Qayyumabad was part of many community level activations that are being organized in various districts in Pakistan. “During these activations, residents are educated on how to stay protected against dengue and lead healthier lives through a combination of innovative approaches to generate maximum impact and learning,” he told me. This includes a cleaning up of the locality by the Mortein Red Force team.

I hope this campaign will meet its target to create awareness about the deadly dengue fever. It’s true success will reflect in the campaign saving lives of scores of people by changing the attitude of the general public towards cleanliness.

By: Hanif Ansari