When I was studying for my medical entomology degree at the Health Services Academy in Islamabad, Pakistan, I contracted dengue. I found out how excruciatingly painful and harmful this disease could be. After my recovery, I became very passionate about fighting dengue, malaria, and other infectious diseases. I knew the bite of one tiny mosquito could destroy a life, and I wanted to do everything in my power to prevent that from happening ever again.
Creating awareness
To combat dengue we need to create awareness and build the capacities of local communities, so that people can learn how to help themselves. A uniform response and early detection are needed.
In 2013, I investigated an outbreak of dengue in the Swat Valley, north of Islamabad, in which over 10,000 cases of dengue were reported to the directorate of Malaria Control. The conditions were really dire and 400 people died in the outbreak, dislocating entire communities and turning many children into orphans.
To prevent the further spread of the disease, we applied fogging – spraying insecticide that is non-harmful to humans – to the affected areas. We also informed the community how they could protect themselves, for example using mosquito nets while resting. The people were very welcoming and grateful for our support and organized seminars in the community on how to recognize the larvae and treat infected water supplies.
The graph above shows how many cases were reported every day in the Swat Valley. It is clear that the campaign was a huge success, as the Swat Valley communities developed very high awareness and resistance. For 2014, the data show that dengue is no longer a day-to-day issue.

A clear drop in dengue cases in the Swat Valley, 2013-2014 (all data courtesy of Jaipal Singh)

Community efforts to prevent the spread of malaria, dengue and other vector-borne diseases.