KARACHI: The Sindh health department has failed to devise a proper strategy to prevent people from dengue viral fever as dreadful disease has claimed 121 lives from 1994 to 2017, while 29,721 dengue fever cases have been reported in the province since 1994.
According to the data issued by Prevention and Control Program of Dengue (PCPD), Sindh, a total 29,721 dengue fever cases were reported from 1994 to 2017, while 121 died from dengue during this period.
The dengue fever claimed 25 lives in 2010, 18 in 2011, 04 in 2012, 32 in 2013, 16 in 2014, 11 in 2015, 03 in 2016 and 12 in 2017.
Out of total 29,721 reported cases, 145 dengue cases were detected in 1994, 258 in 2005, 4,950 in 2006,490 in 2007, 552 in 2008, 869 in 2009, 4,072 in 2010, 1,079 in 2011, 734 in 2012, 5,970 in 2013, 1,295 in 2014, 3,962 in 2015 and 2,418 in 2016 and 2,927 in 2017. All dengue deaths and 99 per cent cases were reported from Karachi city.
Experts said number of dengue cases and related mortalities could be much higher as there is no system in place to record the actual data while on other hand, private and government sector hospitals are either not maintaining such records or are reluctant to share it with the program administration.