Dengue Dallying

Children killed by Dengue Fever for the first eight months of 2012: 134

Children killed by Dengue Fever for the first eight months of 2011: 48

Number affected by Dengue Fever in the first eight months of 2012: 32,000

Number affected by Dengue Fever in the first eight months of 2011: 11,020

Clearly the epidemic has reached alarming levels.

And yet, despite this, villagers in the affected areas cannot get enough of the larvicide ‘Abate’ which stops the dengue-carrying mosquito breeding.

That’s despite the ministry having stocks of ‘Abate’ in a warehouse somewhere; ministry officials admit that despite the scale of the outbreak they have only managed to stir themselves enough to distribute half of the 320 tons available. Perhaps that is due to inertia or incompetence. Or perhaps the right palms are yet to be greased.

 Whatever the reasons it's a bloody disgrace.