The Sindh Health Department has released its latest report on confirmed dengue cases across the province, revealing that 439 new cases have been reported so far in October, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in 2025 to 1,083.
Dengue, a mosquito-borne viral infection transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito, remains a recurring health concern in Sindh — particularly during the monsoon season when stagnant water and poor sanitation accelerate its spread. The illness causes high fever and, in severe cases, can lead to life-threatening complications.
While the provincial health department puts the total number of dengue cases in Sindh this year at 1,083, figures from Oct 1 to 16 obtained from three major Karachi hospitals and a public sector laboratory with branches in Hyderabad suggested an outbreak-like situation, with the actual number exceeding 12,000 in just six weeks.
A statement issued by the Health Department, quoting Sindh Minister for Health and Population Welfare Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho, said, “Karachi Division remains the most affected, with 188 cases reported this month, followed by Hyderabad Division with 154, Mirpurkhas with 83, Sukkur with 10, Shaheed Benazirabad with three, and Larkana Division with one case.”
Dr Pechuho clarified that the Health Department maintains complete records of all confirmed dengue cases received from government hospitals. “If a patient undergoes testing at a private laboratory, that report is not included in our official data,” she said, emphasising that the figures released by the department were verified and authentic.
She urged the public not to believe unverified information or rumours circulating on social media, adding that data of all patients admitted to hospitals or treated in outpatient departments (OPDs) is properly maintained by the department.
Dr Pechuho said the Sindh government was working seriously to curb dengue across the province.
“Anti-dengue measures, including fumigation, spraying, and drainage improvement, have been intensified in all districts,” the statement quoted her as saying. “Deputy commissioners and district health officers have been instructed to ensure that no stagnant water remains, as it serves as a breeding ground for mosquitoes.”
She added that equal attention is being given to both urban and rural areas, and separate dengue units have been established in all government hospitals where free treatment and testing facilities are being provided.
Grim situation in Karachi, Hyderabad
Last week, figures collected from three hospitals in Karachi — Indus Hospital (IH), Liaquat National Hospital (LNH) and the Sindh Infectious Diseases Hospital and Research Centre (SIDHRC) — showed that a total of 2,972 cases of dengue have been reported from Sept 1 to Oct 16. The fourth hospital — the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre — alone recorded 1,062 dengue cases from July to date.
The situation was no different at the Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH) as sources confirmed a high number of dengue cases, comparatively larger than last year’s, and a few deaths.
Hyderabad was also facing an alarming situation as the figures obtained from the Diagnostic and Research Laboratory (DRL) of the Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences (LUMHS), Jamshoro, and its branches showed 9,075 dengue confirmed cases from Sept 1 to Oct 14.
Questions raised over credibility of govt data
PMA-Sindh President Dr Bashir Ahmed Khaskheli had described the situation as “far more serious than what’s depicted by official data and said that official figures did not represent the ground reality.”
“There is no official mechanism in place to get feedback from private clinics operating in every nook and corner of a locality, as well as private hospitals, quacks and even hakeems. Many people constrained by their financial resources don’t even opt for laboratory tests,” he told Dawn.
Dr Faisal Mahmood, professor of infectious diseases and associate chief medical officer at the AKUH, also confirmed the surge in dengue cases, emphasising that the end of October was classically the season when most dengue cases were seen.
“It is important to note that dengue rates do vary from year to year, and this cyclic pattern of dengue peaks is something we have seen over the last decade or so. There are several reasons for this, including weather patterns and changes in the strains. What is driving this year is hard to say, though I would think the [rains] floods have played a part,“ he said.
Ineffective fumigation
Health experts have attributed the surge in dengue cases to a lack of fumigation and timely drainage of water accumulated after the heavy spells of monsoon rains.
“If rainwater remains accumulated, it has the potential to become a breeding ground for vectors,” Dr Mirza Ali Azhar of the Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) told Dawn.
“Entire rainwater doesn’t go into drains, and in many areas, water stands in the shape of ponds, only to serve as a home for mosquitoes,” he said.
Dr Khaskheli, the incumbent PMA-Sindh president, regretted that the high number of cases due to mosquito-borne illnesses could be easily prevented through effective vector control measures.
“It all has to do with the poor sewerage and drainage system. One could see pools of standing rainwater or sewage and heaps of garbage everywhere, providing breeding grounds of all kinds of germs and insects,” he said, pointing out that there were few government fumigation campaigns to effectively address the menace of vector-borne diseases.
