KARACHI: The Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) has strongly criticized the Provincial and Local Governments of Sindh for their failure to control the growing dengue fever outbreak and the parallel rise in respiratory illnesses across the province, especially in Karachi and Hyderabad.
In a press statement, PMA Secretary General Dr. Abdul Ghafoor Shoro said the current surge in dengue, malaria, and respiratory diseases is a direct result of negligence, poor governance, and administrative paralysis in health and civic departments.
“The dengue crisis is not a natural disaster; it is a man-made tragedy rooted in systemic dysfunction,” Dr. Shoro said. “The lack of political will to ensure sanitation, waste management, and effective fumigation has turned our cities into breeding grounds for mosquitoes.”
The PMA highlighted three main causes behind the worsening crisis:
Delayed and Ineffective Fumigation: No comprehensive or timely fumigation drives were carried out in high-risk residential and commercial areas, allowing mosquito populations to multiply.
Collapse of Municipal Services: Poor sanitation, blocked drains, and piles of garbage across cities have created ideal breeding sites for mosquito larvae, reflecting a total breakdown in municipal management.
Worsening Air Quality: Uncontrolled civic digging and construction projects in Karachi and Hyderabad have severely worsened air quality, contributing to an alarming rise in asthma and chronic lung disease cases.
Citing recent global air quality reports, the PMA noted that Karachi was ranked the fourth most polluted city in the world on November 7, 2025, with air quality levels officially classified as hazardous to human health.
The PMA called for urgent government action to restore basic sanitation, launch immediate fumigation operations, and implement effective air pollution control measures to prevent further loss of life.
