Dhi Qar Calls for Emergency Support as Hemorrhagic Fever Cases Rise

Ahmed Gani al-Hafaci, head of the Health and Environment Committee in the Dhi Qar Provincial Council, has called on the central government for urgent assistance as hemorrhagic fever cases rise rapidly across the province. He said the outbreak requires immediate support to curb its spread and strengthen local response measures. Hafaci said the veterinary hospital’s capacity is insufficient and that support from the Ministry of Agriculture has remained limited. He added that he and the Dhi Qar governor visited the ministry about two weeks ago to request medicines, but no additional shipments have been delivered despite follow-up efforts. The committee chief urged the Council of Ministers to use the emergency budget to meet logistical needs, carry out sterilization work, and finance anti-outbreak campaigns. He said the disease is linked to a tick population that becomes active during the high summer temperatures. Hafaci said this year’s medicine shortage has increased tick numbers and, in turn, infection rates among people. He said health teams continue to provide medical care to patients, but prevention remains the priority. He called for restrictions on livestock movement, tighter monitoring of illegal slaughter, and a ban on grazing inside cities. He also warned butchers and households handling meat to wear gloves and protective clothing and to store meat under proper refrigeration, noting that viral diseases such as Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever spread through ticks and mosquitoes or through the blood and secretions of infected animals.