Category: Health

Suspected dengue cases in Sindh more than tripled during August 2026, from 51 in the first full week of the month to 173 in the last, according to the Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response (IDSR) weekly bulletins of the National Institute of Health (NIH) in Islamabad.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa reported 263 suspected cases in the last week of August, up from 65 in the first. Balochistan’s count fell from 3 to 1, while Punjab did not report into the bulletin, which therefore gives no national total. The combined total rose from 119 to 437.

These are suspected cases, not laboratory-confirmed ones. The bulletin states on its own overview page that every case in the weekly tables is a suspected case; a person with fever and body pain may be counted before any test is done.

The bulletin lists dengue among the diseases that increased that week. Karachi’s first dengue death of 2026 was reported in March.

The bulletin does not break dengue down by Karachi district — its Sindh district table lists only the most common diseases — so it cannot say how many of the 173 cases were in Karachi.

The minister also ordered the Deputy Commissioner Lahore to have the city’s anti-dengue campaign audited by a third party, and directed that senior officers, rather than junior staff, take part in field operations.

The directives came at a high-level meeting chaired by Khawaja Imran Nazir to review anti-dengue operations under way in the provincial capital. The meeting was attended by Deputy Commissioner Lahore Captain (retd) Ali Ejaz, the Additional Deputy Commissioner (Municipal), Deputy District Officers (Health) and representatives of allied departments.

“Action under the anti-dengue campaign must be taken without discrimination,” the minister told the meeting, making clear that government buildings would not be exempt from the scrutiny routinely applied to homes, shops and construction sites.

Anti-dengue teams in Lahore have traditionally concentrated on residential areas, markets, tyre shops, junkyards, graveyards and construction sites, where penalties and cases are regularly registered against owners whose premises harbour larvae. Official buildings — with their rooftop water tanks, blocked drains and unused spaces — have received less attention until now.

During the campaign, polio drops were administered to more than 22.9 million children in Punjab, over 10.5 million in Sindh, more than 7.13 million in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and over 2.3 million in Balochistan. More than 455,000 children were vaccinated in Islamabad, around 261,000 in Gilgit-Baltistan and over 673,000 in Azad Kashmir.

The campaign was postponed in the Balochistan districts of Mastung, Gwadar, Chagai and Awaran over security concerns. Officials said 0.14 per cent of targeted children were recorded as refusals, with 31,000 refusals from Karachi forming the largest share.

During the drive, a police constable assigned to protect a polio team, 35-year-old Maqsood, was shot dead by unidentified attackers in the Kaahi area of Nizampur in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa while female health workers were administering drops to children inside a home.

Pakistan and Afghanistan remain the only two countries in the world where wild poliovirus is still endemic. Health officials continue to urge parents to have their children vaccinated so the disease can be eradicated completely.

The Ministry of National Health Services and Regulations has issued an urgent advisory warning of an increased risk of dengue transmission, citing heavy rainfall and weather conditions favourable to the virus. Authorities have urged citizens and departments to act on preventive measures immediately.

According to official figures, Islamabad has seen a sharp rise in dengue positive cases, climbing from 111 to 1,404 between September 9 and October 2, underscoring the seriousness of the situation.

Dr Zaeem Zia, District Health Officer Islamabad, said most dengue larvae breeding grounds are established in homes, under-construction buildings and public spaces. DHO teams have carried out intensive sweep activities, including indoor residual spraying (IRS), alongside dengue prevention awareness work, he said.

Health authorities have advised the public to wear long sleeves and use repellents to avoid mosquito bites, avoid going out after sunset, and steer clear of areas with standing water, uncut grass and garbage piles.

Officials stressed seeking medical advice instead of self-medicating, and urged residents to contact field monitoring teams to arrange dengue spraying in their areas. Medical facilities have been directed to dedicate special counters for dengue-related cases.

Symptoms of dengue include high fever, severe headache, joint and muscle pain, skin rashes and eye pain. According to NIH guidance, patients should use only paracetamol for fever and avoid aspirin and NSAIDs because they increase bleeding risk. Immediate hospitalisation is required when platelet counts drop below 10,000.