On Wednesday, Punjab health authorities reported 172 new cases of dengue fever in the province within the last 24 hours. The latest figures show that Rawalpindi recorded 157 cases, followed by Lahore with eight, Jhelum with two, and one case each in Gujranwala, Chakwal, Attock, Sargodha, and Okara.
In the past week, a total of 904 new dengue virus infections were identified, raising the overall count in Punjab for 2024 to 3,771 cases. The health authorities confirmed that all necessary measures to combat the outbreak are in place, with a sufficient supply of medicines available in government hospitals throughout the province.
Read more: Rawalpindi Declares Dengue Emergency as Cases Surge
Given the increasing number of cases, the health department issued a strong advisory urging the public to maintain clean and dry environments to prevent the spread of dengue. Citizens were also asked to cooperate with health teams working to manage the outbreak.
In another development, the Punjab government has decided to digitize micro plans to enhance the effectiveness of anti-polio campaigns. These campaigns will be monitored using Geographic Information System-based maps, starting in Lahore and expanding to other districts.
This decision was made during a meeting led by Chief Secretary Zahid Akhtar Zaman, which included the Primary Health Secretary Nadia Saqib, the Lahore commissioner and deputy commissioner, as well as representatives from international organizations focused on polio eradication, with other divisional commissioners and DCs participating via video link.
During the meeting, the chief secretary emphasized the importance of using scientific methods for polio eradication and stated that digitizing micro plans is essential for achieving 100% results. The Primary Health Secretary announced that the national anti-polio campaign in Punjab would commence on October 28.
