On dengue in Pakistan today, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa remains in its peak season but health officials say the worst of the wave should ease soon. The province has logged 5,268 dengue cases in total, including 63 new infections in the past 24 hours, according to the Integrated Diseases Surveillance and Response System (IDS&RS), the public-health tracking unit under the director-general of health services. Of those patients, 169 are still active and 5,098 have recovered.
Officials told reporters that with the seasonal fall in temperature, dengue cases will start decreasing on 3 November. Within about three weeks, they said, numbers should drop sharply because mosquitoes that carry the virus struggle to survive in colder weather. Rain after the chill sets in could speed that decline further.
Where cases are concentrated
Kohat accounts for the heaviest burden, with 3,008 cases, including 1,416 in the current month. Officials link the district’s outbreaks to standing water where mosquitoes breed. Peshawar has recorded 655 patients, followed by Khyber with 554, Bannu 192, Haripur 150, Charsadda 95, Abbottabad 79, Mansehra 68, Karak 65, Nowshera and Hangu 54 each, Dera Ismail Khan 46, Lakki Marwat 44 and Swabi 34.
The IDS&RS tally for the year to 28 October lists 2,656 cases in that cut of the data, with monthly counts of 1,709 in September, 584 in August, 111 in July, 93 in June and 115 from January to May. Cases have already fallen to zero in Dir Upper, Upper Kurram, Torghar and Shangla.
Why officials expect a decline
Health staff say work under the Dengue Action Plan 2026, coordinated with other departments, has helped cut infections and deaths in most of the province this year, though Kohat remains the main exception. Outbreaks in Kohat, Khyber and Bannu still pushed up the provincial total. The updated plan involves coordination among 19 line departments to reduce breeding sites.
Last year KP diagnosed about 6,200 people with dengue, including more than 1,000 in Charsadda after outbreaks in three union councils. This year one resident of Tank has died of dengue, compared with four deaths last year.
Officials said public awareness of mosquito bites has improved, which also helps against malaria and other vector-borne illnesses. They warned that power cuts still force households to store water, and uncovered containers become breeding sites. Departments cannot inspect every home, they said; the core advice is to remove water pools and change water in coolers within three days. Looking ahead, they expect a similar seasonal pattern next year unless breeding habitats are cleared and inter-department coordination continues.
Timeline: what has happened so far
- January–May (this year): 115 dengue cases recorded in KP.
- June–August: Cases rose from 93 in June to 111 in July and 584 in August.
- September: 1,709 infections — the heaviest month so far in the reported breakdown.
- Late October: Provincial tally reaches 5,268, with 63 new cases in 24 hours; Kohat alone has 3,008.
- From 3 November: Officials expect the decline to begin, with a sharper fall within about three weeks as temperatures drop.
- Last year for comparison: About 6,200 cases and four deaths province-wide; this year one death so far (Tank).
Aasan alfaaz mein
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa mein dengue ke cases abhi peak par hain, lekin sardi shuru hone ke baad 3 November se kam hone ka imkaan hai. Ab tak province mein 5,268 cases ho chuke hain, jin mein se 169 abhi active hain. Kohat sab se zyada mutasir hai. Ghar walon ke liye asaan nuskha yeh hai ke khule pani ke puddles khatam karein aur cooler ka pani teen din mein badlein.
