KARACHI, Dec 15: The provincial health department is in the process of creating a permanent task force to take preventive steps and launch a public awareness campaign to tackle the possible reemergence of dengue haemorrhagic fever, which, experts fear, if occurs might become more catastrophic.

According to health department officials, a meeting of experts and health authorities is scheduled to be held in Karachi on Monday to review the problem of dengue and decide some concrete measures to contain the fatal disease, which might resume its sting once winter is over.

“We have invited experts to attend the meeting including the officials of the WHO, Malaria Control Programme, Dengue Fever Cell and other experts belonging to private organisations and hospitals,” Sindh Health Secretary Dr Naushad Shaikh told Dawn.

Besides, he said, officials from the city government and other municipal bodies had also been invited to attend the meeting and get them involved in a joint effort, which was extremely vital to combat the disease with maximum force, which if allowed to reemerge was bound to cause far more losses to life than it did this year.

“All of us would think over the situation and would decide for measures, which include a public awareness campaign about dengue and establishment of a permanent task force entrusted to tackle this menace with maximum powers and resources,” said Dr Shaikh.

Experts believe that a harsh chilly December has proved to be a blessing for Karachiites as it has killed all the dengue virus carrying mosquitoes but the threat still exists in the form of larvae they left in hibernation that could give birth to these mosquitoes once weather turns hot. The real task for authorities is to locate those breeding spots and destroy them before April.

More fumigation drives are planned to be carried out during four cold months but what bothers both the health authorities and CDGK is the fact that this mosquito is home-grown and in a city like Karachi, the menace could not be effectively checked without massive public involvement in the exercise.

He said media would be involved for effective mass awareness campaign about dengue. People would be advised to keep their houses clean, water reservoirs covered and carry out continuous sprays to destroy the deadly stuff.