ISLAMABAD: The ministry of national health services has decided to persuade the Global Fund to provide technical and financial support for prevention and controlofdenguefeverin the country.

A delegation of the ministry will also request the Global Fund to increase the aid for Pakistan as dengue fever has become a bigger concern for the health departments as compared to malaria.

Global Fund is an international organisation formed in 2002 to fight against AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. It is spending $30 million during each of its three-year programmes in Pakistan.

A ministry official said that in Pakistan the Global Fund had been spending funds to eradicate malaria which has its patients in 26 districts ofthe country.

`Malaria and dengue fever are both vector-borne diseases and spread because of mosquitoes. Malaria largely exists in Sindh and Blochistan and dengue fever in Punjab,` the official said. `In Rawalpindi Malaria has been controlled but denguefever has become a huge problem.

He said that Global Fund did not deviate from its mandate and, therefore, did not provide funds to deal with dengue, a major problem in Pakistan. `We have been considering persuading the Global Fund to provide funds for dengue fever too,` he added.

Director General Health Dr Asad Hafeez told Dawn that a meeting with the Global Fund was scheduled for the second weel< of October in Kuwait.

`We will try to convince representatives ofthe organisation toincreasefundsforits Pakistan programme and include dengue in it because it is much bigger issue for the country as compared to malaria,` he said.

`The current situation of dengue fever in some districts of Punjab, particularly Rawalpindi, is worrisome so the ministry is considering diverting some of the funds and equipment allocated for malaria to plans aimed at fighting dengue fever,` he said.

`For example, nets are required to save people from mosquitoes causing malaria anddenguesothattheycanbeusedtocurb both diseases,` he said.