To Combat Dengue, The Health Department Creates a Duck-Based Plan.

(CTN News) – The health department announced on Friday that the Rawalpindi district has formulated a comprehensive ‘micro-level anti-dengue plan’.

This plan, to be authorized by the end of January and implemented on February 6, aims to combat the increasing number of cases.

As part of the plan, specific measures will be taken to target ponds and other breeding grounds for larvae. Additionally, the district plans to promote the breeding of ducks as a preventive measure.

It is worth noting that in 2023, the district did not report any dengue-related deaths, unlike the previous year when fatalities were recorded.

To encourage the breeding of ducks, farmers in rural areas will be incentivized, especially in places with open ponds, as domestic ducks have a preference for mosquito larvae as their diet.

This year, government hospitals treated a total of 2,686 patients for dengue. However, private hospitals reported a significantly higher number of patients with dengue-like symptoms, reaching at least 20,000.

Additionally, government hospitals recorded 17,418 suspected cases that were kept under observation but did not test positive for dengue.

To address the situation, the department established designated wards in 14 hospitals of various sizes in the Rawalpindi area. These wards provided a total of 228 beds specifically for dengue patients. As of December 1, only 23 of these beds were occupied by patients receiving treatment.

According to the data shared by the department, 64 percent of the patients were male, while 36 percent were female.

Furthermore, the department discovered a higher number of larvae compared to the previous year. The data revealed that in 2021, over 40,000 locations, including residences and under-construction sites, were found to have dengue larvae. In 2022, this number increased to 50,769 houses.

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