KARACHI: More than 127,000 cases of diarrhoeal diseases have been reported at flood relief camps and healthcare facilities in Sindh this month.

According to the data released by the health department, out of total 878,533 cases of watery diarrhoea and dysentery reported this year in Sindh, 127,798 cases are reported in September alone.

Of the total 878,533 cases reported this year, 410,831 pertained to under-five children.

A total of 59,632 under-five children developed watery diarrhoea and dysentery in September.

A division-wise break-up of communicable diseases reported on Sept 14 at relief camps set up in Karachi, Mirpurkhas, Sukkur, Larkana, Hyderabad and Shaheed Benazirabad showed that healthcare providers attended to 13,599 cases of acute respiratory infections, 10,856 cases of diarrhoea, 1,666 cases of dysentery and 1,741 cases of acute watery diarrhoea.

Meanwhile, WHO representative to Pakistan Dr Palitha Gunarathna Mahipala handed over relief goods to Health and Population Welfare Minister Dr Azra Pechuho at the EPI Hall.

The supplies worth Rs40 million included 55,500 rapid diagnostic kits for dengue and malaria and 20,000 hygiene kits for women.

The minister was informed that more flood relief supplies, including filtration plants, were on the way.

Later speaking to journalists, Dr Pechuho said that monetary aid for the rehabilitation of internally-displaced persons from the federal government and international donors had not yet arrived in Sindh.

About the “under-reported cases of dengue fever” in Karachi, she explained that hospitals were not properly sharing their data with the health department.

“Now, there is a state of emergency and the laboratories that would not comply with the directives with complete transparency regarding these diseases will be sealed,” she warned.

Dr Mahipala said that he had visited the flood-affected areas and had seen the work being done there.

“The WHO will be providing additional support as it wants to provide 12 ferries to conduct boat camps for IDPs who could not be accessed otherwise.

Published in Dawn, September 16th, 2022