KP shows 97pc decline in dengue cases in 2023 

PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa witnessed 97 percent reduction in confirmed dengue cases in the outgoing year 2023 as compared to the previous year’s figures.

In a statement, KP Health Secretary Mahmood Aslam says that only 747 cases of dengue were confirmed in the province during the outgoing calendar year 2023.

He says there were 20,566 suspected cases of dengue and following the screening of 19,013 cases, the presence of the virus was confirmed in 747 individuals. No fatalities due to dengue have been recorded this year, he added.

The secretary says this year's figure of 747 cases represents a significant 97pc reduction compared to the 22,960 cases reported last year.

Highlighting the accomplishments despite limited resources, the secretary praised the Civil Defense and other line departments for their improved efficiency in addressing the dengue threat. He said KP reports the lowest number of dengue cases in the entire country.

Aslam shared that the dengue prevention campaign involved checking over 10 million homes. Dengue larvicides were applied in more than 9,000 homes where the presence of dengue larvae was confirmed. Additionally, examinations of over three million potential larval habitats were conducted.

About the awareness initiatives, he mentioned that lady health visitors (LHVs) delivered over 200,000 awareness messages as part of the dengue awareness campaign. A total of 4,462 awareness sessions, including dengue awareness walks and lectures, were conducted.

He commended religious leaders, divisional and district administrations, as well as health department employees for successfully limiting dengue cases to 747.