PESHAWAR – Health authorities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have declared an emergency response after the dengue outbreak in Peshawar worsened. Over 4,000 confirmed cases have been reported across the province this year. In the past 24 hours, officials confirmed 42 new infections, raising active cases to 310. Peshawar and Charsadda remain the most affected districts.
Acting on Chief Minister Suhail Afridi’s orders, the provincial health department launched emergency micro-plans across 20 high-risk union councils in Peshawar. The department deployed five entomologists from other districts to support local experts. It also formed special dengue high-risk committees to coordinate containment efforts.
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Health Officials Launch Action in High-Risk Zones
Senior health officials identified Tehkal, Mashogagar, Mashokhel, Safaid Dheri, and Baghbanan as Peshawar’s most vulnerable areas. These localities are reporting both dengue and chikungunya cases. Officials confirmed 28 chikungunya infections so far. The dengue outbreak began in Pishtakhara and Nothia Jadeed, where teams found larvae in household containers and refrigerator trays. Field workers destroyed the breeding sites immediately.
In Peshawar alone, 429 dengue cases surfaced this year, including 245 confirmed in October. Charsadda district recorded 1,060 cases, with ten still active. Major Medical Teaching Institution (MTI) hospitals diagnose new dengue cases daily, and admissions continue to rise.
The health department declared 14 union councils as high-risk: Badaber, Maryamzai, Nothia Qadeem, Tehkal, Mashogagar, Hayatabad, Pishtakhara, Mashokhel, Deh Bahadar, Regi, Sheikh Muhammadi, Safaid Dheri, Nasir Bagh, and University Town.
The department and the deputy commissioner’s office jointly developed a micro-plan involving all relevant departments under a multi-sectoral approach. The Water and Sanitation Services Peshawar (WSSP) and Tehsil Municipal Administrations (TMAs) began drain cleaning in these localities. The education and auqaf departments started awareness campaigns in schools and mosques.
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Field Teams Mobilised
The agriculture department assigned class-IV workers to assist district health teams in field operations. Peshawar currently has five entomologists, while five more arrived from other districts to strengthen surveillance and larval elimination.
Health workers set up a medical camp in Safaid Dheri, where they examined 600 patients and conducted 140 dengue tests in one day. Four more medical camps will open soon in nearby union councils. Teams are carrying out continuous fumigation and fogging in all high-risk areas.
Some political representatives are urging the department to prioritise spraying in their constituencies, which affects planning and awareness. In response, the department contacted local elders and community leaders to ensure coordination.
Awareness teams are visiting homes and local gathering places to educate residents about dengue prevention. Health experts believe the number of dengue cases will drop as temperatures fall in the coming weeks.
The dengue outbreak in Peshawar remains one of the province’s most serious public health challenges this year. The government continues to intensify vector control, public awareness, and inter-departmental coordination to contain the spread.
