Source: (AFP)cidrap
Sep 30, 2011
Dengue hits Kenya, Pakistan hard
A dengue outbreak in northeastern Kenya has affected at least 5,000 people in the past few weeks and is overwhelming health care systems, and in Pakistan dengue has sickened more than 12,000, according to news stories. In Kenya’s Mandera district, the mosquito-borne disease has spread because of overwhelmed health facilities and personnel and poor sanitation, according to IRIN News, a service of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. “Mandera District Hospital is congested, many patients and panicked residents are streaming into the facility, it’s the only public hospital, all wards are occupied above capacity,” said provincial public health and medical officer Mohamed Sheikh. The country’s Ministry of Public Health said on Sep 26 the outbreak had claimed at least four lives, but residents say that number is at least 10, according to the report.
Sep 29 IRIN news report
In Pakistan, more than 12,000 people have contracted dengue and 126 have died in three provinces in less than a month, with the city of Lahore especially hard hit, according to a story today from Agence France-Presse (AFP). Lahore has confirmed at least 10,244 cases and 107 deaths. A provincial health secretary said the country has undertaken a huge public awareness campaign, including large banners emblazoned with images of mosquitoes and warning messages. Teams from the World Health Organization and Sri Lanka are also helping with prevention efforts.
Sep 30 AFP story
Dengue rash
