By: Shahzad Rasheed
Dengue fever, also known as breakbone fever, is a mosquito-borne infectious tropical disease caused by the dengue virus. Symptoms include fever, headache, muscle and joint pains, and a characteristic skin rash that is similar to measles. In a small proportion of cases, the disease develops into life-threatening dengue hemorrhagic fever, which results in bleeding, thrombocytopenia, and leakage of blood plasma, or into dengue shock syndrome, in which dangerously low blood pressure occurs.
Dengue is a viral infection caused by the dengue virus (DENV), which is transmitted to humans through the bite of infected mosquitoes. About half of the world’s population is now at risk of dengue, with an estimated 100–400 million infections occurring each year.
World Health Organization (WHO) has reported that dengue has targeted mainly humans in South Asia. The healthcare sector of Pakistan has reported its lethal effects due to unhealthy food and edibles with improper sanitation among the population.
Dengue cases in Pakistan show an upward trend, with outbreaks occurring frequently, especially after heavy monsoon seasons. The increasing severity and frequency of these outbreaks are attributed to factors such as climate change-induced floods, urbanization, poor sanitation, and high humidity and temperature. Key years for high case counts include 2017 (22,938 cases), 2019 (24,547 cases), 2021 (48,906 cases), 2022 (41,746 cases), and 2024 (28,427 cases), indicating a recurring public health crisis.
Poor management of dengue in Pakistan stems from systemic issues including inadequate sanitation and waste disposal, leading to rampant mosquito breeding, lack of consistent public health education and awareness about prevention, and insufficient resources and infrastructure to support effective vector control and patient care. This mismanagement is exacerbated by factors like unplanned urbanization, climate change, limited access to clean water, and community misconceptions, contributing to frequent epidemics and high morbidity.
Dengue cases in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) have seen periods of significant increase, notably in 2017 when a province-wide outbreak led to over 24,000 confirmed cases and 70 death The Peshawar region is often a hotspot, with high infection rates reported during the post-monsoon months of September and October.
A total of 1,838 dengue cases have been reported in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) so far in 2025, with 1,729 patients recovered and 109 active cases remaining Charsadda is the most affected district with 852 cases, followed by Haripur (178 cases), Mansehra (133 cases), and Peshawar (113 cases).
The health department of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) has been criticized for its failure to control dengue cases due to a lack of timely and effective fumigation, inadequate supply of mosquito nets, mismanagement of stagnant water, and insufficient public awareness campaigns. This recurring problem has led to a significant rise in cases annually, with residents experiencing a lack of prompt medical response and treatment, forcing some to seek help from other provinces.
The department often fails to initiate mosquito spraying and larvicide campaigns, especially after the monsoon season, allowing mosquito populations to grow unchecked. Shortages of mosquito nets and a failure to implement effective fogging protocols in high-risk areas contribute to the spread of the disease. There is a lack of effort to control stagnant water bodies, which act as breeding grounds for dengue-carrying mosquito larvae, particularly in areas with canals.
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government has faced significant challenges in controlling dengue, with failures attributed to a lack of coordinated efforts, poor public awareness, insufficient public health infrastructure , poor sanitation and waste management, , and ineffective community participation in prevention strategies. These issues have led to increased disease transmission and outbreaks, highlighting the need for improved public engagement and a stronger centralized system for prevention and response.
The uncontrolled virus has exposed the health reforms the government was claiming to have enforced in the province. Hundreds of people are suffering from dengue fever in Peshawar, but the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf-led government has yet to devise any effective strategy for controlling the disease The priority of the government is to spend the resources of the province on political rallies rather than to provide health facilities to the poor.
The people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had voted the PTI to power on the slogan of its change mantra, but the party had backed out of its election manifesto. The provincial government has failed to take timely steps for control of dengue, which has affected normal life, especially in suburbs of Peshawar. Dengue has become epidemic, and the patients’ number was fast increasing with each passing day, but the provincial health department was least bothered to come into action.
To control dengue in the province, individuals should eliminate mosquito breeding sites by clearing stagnant water, using personal protection measures like repellents and protective clothing, and participating in community awareness efforts. Public health initiatives involve vector surveillance, fogging, vaccination, and training healthcare professionals to effectively manage and report cases, ensuring a multi-faceted approach to combat the disease.
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