Pakistan floods pose serious health challenges

Abstract

With a third of Pakistan inundated by the floods that have affected more than 33 million people, local relief workers and public health experts have said that they are fearing a rise in several waterborne and mosquito-borne diseases and skin infections.12 Public health expert Malik Muhammad Umair, who was part of response teams led by an international non-profit organisation after the 2005 earthquake and floods in 2010, told The BMJ , “With most of the flood affected areas having limited access to safe drinking water, the biggest threat is from waterborne diseases such as diarrhoea, typhoid, and cholera. Also, mosquito breeding that has increased because of stagnant water may also lead to high numbers of malaria and dengue cases, which Pakistan has already been grappling with.” Of Pakistan’s 154 districts, 116 have been affected by the floods, caused by heavy monsoon rains that started in mid-July.3 Over 1162 people have died so far.4 Amid criticism that the government isn’t doing enough for people affected by …