RAWALPINDI: In response to the alarming rise in dengue cases in Rawalpindi, the district administration has declared an emergency.
According to the Deputy Commissioner, protective measures are being implemented, and emergency dengue counters have been established across the district.
Mobile teams are also operational to combat the spread of the dengue virus, particularly as the new variant has been identified as more dangerous than previous strains.
Amid the surge in cases, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced a global plan to address dengue and other mosquito-borne diseases, which are spreading more rapidly due to climate change.
WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus emphasized that the rapid spread of dengue and other arboviral diseases is an alarming trend that requires a coordinated response across various sectors and borders.
The UN health agency reported that the number of dengue cases has roughly doubled each year since 2021, with over 12.3 million cases and more than 7,900 deaths recorded in just the first eight months of 2024. This figure is nearly double the total of 6.5 million cases reported throughout all of 2023.
Dengue can cause high fever and body aches, although many individuals remain asymptomatic. The WHO estimates that there are between 100 million and 400 million dengue infections annually.
