PESHAWAR: Health department has intensified anti-dengue efforts after an early onset of hot season and detection of three patients of the mosquito-borne ailment in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The department has instructed all hospitals including medical teaching institutions (MTIs) to share complete data about suspected and confirmed patients so that comprehensive plan could be devised for prevention of the infection.
The department has notified laboratories at district level to ensure prompt diagnosis of suspected patients and manage the cases at hospitals where medical superintendents have been directed to stand alert.
Officials told Dawn that they nominated focal persons in all hospitals including MTIs to ensure that suspected people received rapid medical services and put brakes on the mosquito-borne disease.
Officials say currently there is no active case of the disease in KP
“So far, 24 suspected patients have been tested with three confirmed cases -- two in Kohat and one in Bannu -- but there is no active case as all have recovered,” they said.
An advisory issued by director public health at directorate-general health services (DGHS) has asked hospitals that as favourable season for dengue fever approaches, it is imperative to mitigate disease risk of transmission, optimise effective preventive, surveillance and rapid response protocols.
It says that adherence to standard operating procedure (SOPs) of vector control (larval elimination), public awareness campaigns, prompt case reporting and clinical management are critical to reduce outbreak risks.
It says that advisory from National Institute of Health, Islamabad, is intended to alert all provincial health departments and hospitals to make all necessary arrangements and take measures for effectively managing the situation during the ongoing dengue season.
“Compliance with the advisory is crucial to minimise the spread of dengue and safeguard public health,” it says.
Dr Mohammad Gul Sartaj, the surveillance officer at Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response System (IDSRS), said that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Healthcare Commission had been tasked to ensure that private laboratories also inform government about dengue cases.
It was mandatory for private sector to share details about notifiable diseases in line with Public Health Act 2017as delayed, incomplete or non-reporting adversely affected provincial situational analysis, resource allocation and response coordination, he said.
According to him, hospitals have been instructed that patients’ data should include all details in order to ensure proper management of cases and put brakes on transmission of the vector-borne disease.
The provincial public health laboratories network notified by the department will provide strategic advice on lab-based surveillance and response.
The network has also been asked to identify gaps and needs, ensuring optimal use of the existing resources and promoting best lab practices in diagnostic microbiology, biosafety and quality assurance to strengthen province-wide access to advanced diagnostic microbiology services.
It has been asked to build laboratory capacity to respond to outbreaks and emerging infectious diseases. More than 73 per cent of the districts have nominated focal persons to implement Dengue Action Plan, 2026, and begin dengue larval surveillance.
Officials said that coordination activities, including weekly meetings of relevant sections, were started under the supervision of additional director general health services to oversee the implementation status of different activities.
Health department has activated social and behavioural change communication cell at DGHS to scale up public awareness regarding dengue fever prevention and recognition of symptoms. It has directed all relevant hospitals that any delay in implementation of activities can create problems and has warned of strict action in this regard.
Published in Dawn, March 2nd, 2026
