KARACHI: Different vector diseases are on the rise as sanitary conditions have gone worse in the port city. Disease burden is constantly increasing, especially, the rising cases of dengue and chikungunya continue to haunt the citizens and public health authorities are clueless how to control mosquitoes, the main vector of these diseases. The city has witnessed a rising trend of dengue and chikunguya at both government and private hospitals and clinics. Both diseases require a lot of money for proper treatment which many poor and low income families could not afford easily. There is no specialized dengue and chikunguya wards in the government hospitals and the laboratory tests of both viral diseases are pretty costly and not available free of cost in many government hospitals. Sindh health, public health departments and the KMC are not able to control mosquitoes and overflowing gutters in almost areas of the city are favorable breeding grounds for the disease-carrying vectors, especially houseflies and mosquitoes. Karachi Mayor Waseem Akhtar says that the hospitals and dispensaries run by the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) are providing treatment facilities to patients of dengue and chikungunya. He said fumigation process has already been under way in the city. However, he complained that the KMC is facing severe fund crunch as the port city is not getting a judicious share of financial resources from the provincial government of Sindh. Treatment of dengue and other viral diseases in private hospitals is a very costly affair and only well-to-do families could afford visiting the private hospitals if any family member catches the viral diseases. To facilitate low income people of Karachi, it needs setting up of special viral disease treatment wards in major government-run hospitals like the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Center (JPMC), Civil Hospital Karachi (CHK) and Abbassi Shaheed Hospital (ASH). A doctor in a reputed private hospital, on condition of anonymity, said dozens of cases of dengue and chikungunya are reported to them every week, but they often provide the data of these patients to the government agencies very late. He said malaria, dengue and chikungunya are widespread in coastal localities of Karachi including Lyari, Gizri, Korangi, Ibrahim Haideri, Landhi and some parts of Malir, adding hundreds of patients suffer in poor slum areas but they do not visit private hospitals and clinics. However, according to the Prevention and Control Program for Dengue in Sindh this year up to August 07, 2017, a total 422 dengue fever cases were reported in Sindh province, out of them 410 were reported from Karachi, five from Hyderabad, five from Tharparkar/ Mithi and two from Umerkot. However, this program does not release the data of reported cases of chikungunya. Munawar Ali, a retired government employee, told PPI that he and his wife caught the chikungunya two weeks back. He said they are still under treatment and not fully well as yet. He said the chikunguya is a very agonizing ailment and he could not ever offer his prayers due to the severe joint pain. Published in Daily Times, August 11th 2017.