Dengue warning

As Pakistan approaches another dengue season, the National Institute of Health has issued yet another advisory urging prevention, surveillance and timely response. While year after year, dengue continues to escalate into a predictable national health emergency, the government's response remains panic-stricken and reactive rather than proactive. The burden of this disease has steadily increased in the country, with each new year bringing more cases than the previous one. This results in what can now only be seen as rehearsed hysteria, as hospitals become overcrowded and hospital staff become short-staffed. On average, a dengue patient has to bear the burden of treatment costs ranging from Rs20,000 to Rs40,000, which can be a fatal blow for many families living hand to mouth. Even more baffling is the fact that the state absorbs the far greater expense of emergency responses due to fogging campaigns, rushed procurement of medical supplies and the diversion of already limited public health funds. Despite this stringent routine, we have yet to see targeted efforts on waste management and urban sanitation. Clogged drains and uncollected garbage, coupled with stagnant water, create ideal breeding grounds for mosquitoes. As long as waste management systems remain futile, the country will continue to battle this crisis every year. Tens of thousands of people lose their lives to dengue each year. These breeding grounds are not just cause for dengue, but for several other fatal diseases such as malaria and chikungunya. Meaning, we mark our calendars every year in anticipation of a collective loss of life, simply because the government refuses to fix its sanitation problem. This is no longer an unforeseen outbreak or an emergency out of our hands. It is an annual consequence of inaction, and prevention must be prioritised over cure for the health and safety of our citizens.