THE disastrous flooding in Pakistan earlier in the year has led to an increase in a number of diseases. According to the Sindh Health Department, more than 9,500 cases of dengue fever have been confirmed this year so far.

Of the total cases, more than 6,000 confirmed cases were reported in Karachi alone. Health experts say the city’s hospitals are under constant pressure as the number of dengue cases has increased in the last few years.

According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA), more than 200,000 houses have been destroyed due to monsoon floods in Pakistan. As a result of rains and floods, about 7.9 million people were displaced, about 13,000 people were injured and around 1,600 people died.

The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO)of the United Nations estimates that 37 per cent of the crop has been affected by floods and many areas are still under feet of water. While various diseases have been reported after the floods, dengue is the most dangerous and deadly of them all.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), 25,930 dengue cases have been reported in the country since June 1, and 75pc of them were reported in September alone.

The reasons for its rapid spread include stagnant rainwater in several areas, contamination of drinking water, inadequate sanitation, and accumulation of garbage in the streets.

Dengue fever has claimed many precious lives due to the shortage of beds and medicines in government hospitals, and the government response to the situation has been anything but satisfactory.

The government needs to expedite the process of floodwater drainage, start a dengue awareness campaign, set up dengue response centres and helplines in high-risk areas, meet the shortage of beds and medicines in public hospitals, and to fumigate the affected areas to save lives.

Nabeel Ahmed Soomro
Sukkur

Published in Dawn, December 19th, 2022