The disastrous flooding in Pakistan earlier within the 12 months has led to a rise in quite a lot of illnesses. In response to the Sindh Well being Division, greater than 9,500 circumstances of dengue fever have been confirmed this 12 months to date.
Of the whole circumstances, greater than 6,000 confirmed circumstances have been reported in Karachi alone. Well being consultants say town’s hospitals are underneath fixed strain because the variety of dengue circumstances has elevated in the previous couple of years.
In response to the United Nations Workplace for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA), greater than 200,000 homes have been destroyed on account of monsoon floods in Pakistan. On account of rains and floods, about 7.9 million individuals have been displaced, about 13,000 individuals have been injured and round 1,600 individuals died.
The Meals and Agriculture Organisation (FAO)of the United Nations estimates that 37 per cent of the crop has been affected by floods and plenty of areas are nonetheless underneath ft of water. Whereas numerous illnesses have been reported after the floods, dengue is probably the most harmful and lethal of all of them.
In response to the World Well being Organisation (WHO), 25,930 dengue circumstances have been reported within the nation since June 1, and 75pc of them have been reported in September alone.
The explanations for its fast unfold embrace stagnant rainwater in a number of areas, contamination of consuming water, insufficient sanitation, and accumulation of rubbish within the streets.
Dengue fever has claimed many treasured lives because of the scarcity of beds and medicines in authorities hospitals, and the federal government response to the state of affairs has been something however passable.
The federal government must expedite the method of floodwater drainage, begin a dengue consciousness marketing campaign, arrange dengue response centres and helplines in high-risk areas, meet the scarcity of beds and medicines in public hospitals, and to fumigate the affected areas to avoid wasting lives.
NABEEL AHMED SOOMRO
SUKKUR