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, 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 reported in Sindh, 1,303 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 2,806 cases in Balochistan, and 280 cases are recorded in Punjab. Moreover, the authorities recorded a total of 13,581 cases of skin infections, of which 8,769 cases are reported in Sindh, 1551 in Balochistan, 1293 in KPK, and 615 cases in Punjab. In the 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.
Many flood-affected areas across the country are still struggling with stagnant water that according to experts will take two to six months to recede. The presence of this stagnant water provides a great shelter to many viruses, bacteria, germs, mosquitoes, snakes, and others that breed and then take a toll on the lives of people living in the nearby areas. With no proper place to live, food to eat, and clothes to cover, people in the flood-hit areas are in desperate need of help to protect themselves from infectious diseases. Especially, children and women are termed as the most vulnerable in the given situation. According to the information shared by UNFPA, nearly 650,000 women in flood-affected areas need maternity services while 73,000 of these women are expected to give month in this season.
Challenges for the authorities
Apart from relocation, and provision of food and shelter, the government has to treat more than a million patients with infectious diseases along with pregnant women. The presence of these most vulnerable patients, mothers, and infants, requires immediate and effective healthcare services. Government, along with other agencies, has adopted several measures to provide relief and medical care to those in need. With the use of aerial sprays, ground sprays, and door-to-door campaigns, they are trying to eliminate the threat of viruses. However, the floods have severely damaged the health infrastructure in many areas which makes the problem more challenging. Lack of proper infrastructure has forced authorities to set up temporary medical camps in flood-hit areas to treat patients with urgent care. Considering the magnitude of the issue, it is safe to say that the country needs time and support to come out of this challenge.
APEX Consulting strives to support government and other relief organizations with extensive monitoring and assessment services to gauge the health situation in Flood-affected areas. Using our diverse network of human resource, advance media monitoring system, and experienced survey teams, we are serving the market as one of the most experienced Consulting firms (floods 2022) Pakistan. The Media Monitoring department at APEX Consulting is carefully monitoring the aftermath situation of floods. In order to reach out please write us at info@baplek.com.
Useful Links:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1710628
https://www.nation.com.pk/16-Sep-2022/dengue-cases-soar-as-floods-death-toll-nears-1-500
https://www.dawn.com/news/1710815/centre-asked-to-carry-out-aerial-spray-in-flood-hit-areas-of-sindh
https://arynews.tv/infectious-diseases-rise-flood-hit-areas-pakistan/
https://www.gavi.org/vaccineswork/flood-hit-pakistan-faces-spread-infectious-diseases