Karachi: Despite a hefty budget allocation of Rs 1.21 billion for the anti-malaria program, the Sindh government has failed to control the spread of malaria across the province.
According to reports, several urban and rural areas in Sindh received little to no mosquito control spraying, with districts like Sukkur, Larkana, and Khairpur showing minimal effort in this regard.
Each district was issued millions of rupees for mosquito eradication, but the program has yielded poor results.
Data from the provincial health department reveals that 494,000 malaria tests were conducted across Sindh over the past four months, with 28,820 returning positive. Hyderabad Division recorded the highest number of cases, totaling 10,562, while Karachi reported just 239 cases — though the threat in the city still persists.
A troubling report suggests that instead of effective insecticides, gasoline smoke is being used for anti-mosquito spraying. This contradicts World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines, which recommend the use of specific chemicals like DDT. Citizens have expressed concern and are calling for regular and scientifically sound spraying campaigns to prevent the further spread of the disease.
