KARACHI: Dengue infections have surged by more than 3,000 per cent in Pakistan over the past decade, rising from an estimated 100,000 cases in 2012 to around 3.28 million in 2022, according to a new study.
The research, led by Aga Khan University (AKU) in partnership with national and international institutions, has been published in the scientific journal PLOS ONE.
Researchers said the findings provide one of the most detailed assessments yet of Pakistan’s dengue burden, using routinely collected data from three nationwide diagnostic laboratory networks to develop more representative estimates of disease incidence.
Prof Erum Khan, Chair of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at AKU and a researcher at its Science Centre, said the study’s innovative approach allowed researchers to make use of extensive clinical laboratory data to better assess the spread of dengue across the country.
According to the study, dengue transmission remains particularly intense during the post-monsoon period. However, seasonal patterns also point to increasingly persistent transmission throughout the year, with outbreaks becoming larger and more frequent over time.
The researchers warned that the sharp rise in infections represents a growing public health challenge and called for stronger disease surveillance, particularly in districts considered at higher risk.
They also stressed the need for sustained environmental and mosquito-control measures, alongside long-term prevention strategies.
Recommended measures include improved vector control, wider public awareness, better training for healthcare workers and consideration of newer approaches such as dengue vaccination and the use of
Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes.
Wolbachia is a naturally occurring bacterium that can reduce mosquitoes’ ability to transmit viruses such as dengue.
The researchers said a coordinated, multi-pronged strategy will be essential to contain Pakistan’s expanding dengue burden and prevent increasingly severe outbreaks in the future.
