KARACHI: A two-day training workshop began on Monday in which experts and officials in the provincial health sector spoke about the hazards of lethal infections caused by mosquitoes and other germs, and enlightened the participants about means that could control, if noteradicate,those diseases.

The event, titled `Case Management Training on Chikungunya, Dengue, Malaria, Congo and Naegleria`, the session was organised by the health ministry in coordination with the World Health Organisation at the Aga Khan University Hospital.

Dr Mohammad Tofique, director health, Karachi, said the key objective of the programme was to mal(e professionals aware of the new diseases like chikungunya and inform them on how to control these effectively.

He said coordination among all elements in the health sector was extremely important if the new emerging diseases were to be controlled effectively.

`Public and private sectors, all subsectors and international partners have to be on the same page to control, if not eradicate,theseinfections,in the soonestpossible time,` said Dr Tofique.

Prof Bushra Jamil, a senior researcher in infectious diseases at the Aga Khan University, said a safe and ef ficient watersupply system was urgently needed across the country to win its fight against polio, caused by faecal contaminated water.

She said the emerging vector-borne infections with devastating impact on public health such as dengue, chikungunya, Congo-Crimean haemorrhagic fever (CCHF), Naegleria fowleri, generally known as `brain-eating` amoeba, and West Nile virus were also due to poor water-supply system in the country.

`Supply of safe water across the country can help us win the battle against polio mellitus, malaria, typhoid, diarrhoea as well as the fast emerging health-related threats looming in the form of dengue, Naegleria, chil(ungunya etc,` she said.

She added the emerging vector-borne infections were directly linked to rapid urbanisation and massive deforestation in the country.

Prof Jamil called upon the authorities concerned to build up an efficient reporting mechanism to help prepare a reliable surveillance system.

Experts said Pakistan could not afford any further complacency in handling the situation, which had alreadygone out of control.

They said the pathetic health conditions had their serious implications on socio-economic status of the people in general.

During the training sessions, the participants were informed about the lethality and historical background of the infections, which had recently emerged in Pakistan, which included chikungunya in Sindh and dengue in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa this year.

Besides, since Eidul Azha was around the corner, the participants were informed about dealing with the patients of CCHF. They were informed about the past incidents in which doctors and paramedics got infected with the tick that caused CCHF and some of them even lost their lives.

During the session, the participants, including generalphysicians and doctors working across the province, took tests and received lectures from the experts.

`Surveillance is the key to control these diseases,` said an expert during a technical session.

Dr Sara Salman of the WHO, Dr Masood Solangi, Dr Naheed Jamali and Dr Rasheed Shaikh also spoke.

The workshop will conclude today (Tuesday).