Flood havoc in Pakistan! Crisis of infectious diseases hovering over 50 lakh population, health experts warn

Pakistan is facing the worst natural calamity ever in its history. Hundreds of districts of the country have been affected by floods due to heavy rains. Lakhs of homeless people have taken shelter in relief camps. So far more than a thousand people have died. The government has termed the dire situation as a 'national calamity'. In the midst of all this, now health experts have expressed the possibility of 50 lakh population of the country falling ill. Describing the next four to 12 weeks as very critical, experts have asked to be prepared to deal with the situation. 

People will be most affected in these areas

Well-known Public Health Expert of Pakistan and Vice Chancellor of Health Services Academy (HSA) Islamabad, Shahzad Ali said that clean drinking water is not available in the flood affected areas in Pakistan. The dirty water of the flood is spread everywhere, due to which there is a possibility of spreading deadly diseases like diarrhoea, cholera, typhoid, gastroenteritis, dengue and malaria. He said that people in the flood-prone areas of Sindh, Balochistan, Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa may be most affected by these diseases. 

Disease can become a disaster for children

Shahzad Ali said that out of 33 million people affected by monsoon rains and floods across Pakistan, about 5 million people could be victims of outbreaks of water and vector-borne diseases. In the next four to 12 weeks, there will be cases of the disease on a large scale.

Expressing concern especially about children, the health expert said that children will be most affected due to weak immunity. He also warned that outbreaks of water-borne diseases could kill hundreds of children and adults if preventive measures were not adopted in time.

Cases of infection being received from now onOn the other hand, officials of welfare organizations working in flood-affected areas reported that a large number of people including women and children are already suffering from water-borne infections including diarrhoea, gastroenteritis, cholera, fever, flu, allergies, scabies and other fungal skin diseases. have started falling prey to.

Concerted effort is needed soon as possible

The health expert said that to meet the medical needs of the sick people in the flood-affected areas, initially around Rs 1 billion would be required for medicines and medical supplies. It is very important to arrange this as soon as possible. There is an urgent need to vaccinate all people against it to prevent typhoid and cholera deaths in flood-affected areas. Apart from this, malaria treatment should also be started to prevent deaths due to vector-borne disease.