Floods 22: Unfolding Health Disaster in affected areas

More than 33 million people are at risk of waterborne, infectious diseases in flood-hit areas.

Instead of expecting respite after no new Flash flood, the people affected have another mess to face. Widespread viral infections and water-borne diseases in flood areas have further aggravated the situation. Along with providing relief, the government has to set up medical camps to provide basic assistance to those in need. Noting the alarming situation, the World Health Organization (WHO) has also termed the health issue as a ‘second disaster’ unfolding in flood-affected areas. According to experts, an outbreak of malaria, dengue, diarrhea, and several skin problems is highly likely. APEX Consulting, one of the most reputable Research firms for floods 2022 in Pakistan, is carefully monitoring the deteriorating health situation in flood-affected areas.

On-ground Situation 

In the past 24 hours, 11,518 cases of diarrhea are reported in flood-affected areas. Of 15,056 diarrhea cases, 7,129 were reported in Sindh, 1,303 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 2,806 cases in Balochistan, and 280 cases were recorded in Punjab. Moreover, the authorities recorded a total of 13,581 cases of skin infections, of which 8,769 cases were reported in Sindh, 1551 in Balochistan, 1293 in KPK, and 615 cases in Punjab. In flood-hit areas, people are also at risk of contracting mosquito-borne diseases such as malaria and dengue virus. In Sindh, 588 cases of malaria are confirmed, while KP reports 1,952 cases of dengue virus in just the current.