PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has chalked out a plan for the prevention and control of dengue fever during the upcoming summer season at a cost of Rs60 million.

Besides effective measures for dengue prevention, the availability of treatment facilities to the affected people will be ensured.

This information was shared by the relevant officials during a meeting here at the Chief Minister’s Secretariat with Chief Minister Pervez Khattak in the chair.

The meeting was called to review the arrangements for preventing the expected spread of dengue in the province, said a handout. Provincial health minister Shaukat Ali Yousafzai, Adviser to Chief Minister on Economic Affairs Rafaqatullah Babar, the health and home secretaries, commissioners of Malakand and Hazara, and other relevant officials attended the meeting.

The anti-dengue plan consists of various activities including strengthening dengue reporting and surveillance, institutional arrangements, coordination and contingent planning, social mobilisation, implementation of vector control interventions, strengthening case management services for dengue fever cases and its prevention.

A task force at provincial level, oversight and technical committees at divisional level and dengue control teams at district level have been constituted to ensure the implementation of the plan.

Similarly, for social mobilisation and giving awareness to the public about dengue and its prevention, hiring the services of community volunteers, ulema, pesh imams and print and electronic media will be hired besides imparting necessary training to the lady health works, teachers and field staff of agriculture department and in addition awareness campaign will also be launched in educational institutions.

The health secretary briefed the participants of the meeting about preparations and other related matters of health department to cope with any untoward situation.

He said the hilly areas of the northern and southern districts of the province were at high risk with regard to the likely spread of dengue virus, and the health department in collaboration with other related departments had completed all necessary preparations to deal with the same.

Giving details of the strategic plan, he said besides setting up early warning system for the disease, case reporting system at facility level had also been strengthened while coordination and technical support was also being extended to all the districts.

“Similarly, procurement process for vector control items has been initiated by floating advertisements in the press”; he added.

The meeting was informed that imparting necessary training to the dengue control teams, setting up dengue fever counters at health outlets for the timely treatment of the dengue-affected people and measures for ensuring the municipal laws to prevent the breeding of dengue were other important components of the plan.

It was further told that special attention had been paid to eliminate the breeding places of the dengue virus, sanitation and cleanliness, creating awareness in the public at mass level and adopting preventive measures to avoid the spread of the diseases.Mr Khattak directed the provincial health minister to personally surprise all activities so that the success of the plan chalked out for the prevention of dengue could be ensured in all respects.

He directed the authorities for effective measures and availability of treatment and testing facilities at all health service outlets, adding that fee for dengue test in private laboratories must be fixed at minimum level and its implementation be ensured.

“Care is better and easier than cure and therefore, the government functionaries as well as the general public should focus on preventive measures,” he said, stressing the need for cleanliness in houses and streets and elimination of the breeding places of dengue.