Flood-hit areas: Health officials concerned about acute respiratory infections, pneumonia cases in coming winter

ISLAMABAD: A downward trend in vector and water-borne diseases is being observed in the flood-hit areas of Sindh, Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa where cases of acute watery diarrhoea, cholera, skin and eye infections as well as Malaria and dengue are on the decline, officials in the Ministry of National Health Services and National Institute of Health (NIH), Islamabad, claimed on Tuesday.

They were, however, worried about an increase in the cases of Acute Respiratory Infections (ARIs) including pneumonia in children and elderly people were compelled to live in open in the upcoming winter. Severe Acute Malnutrition among children and women in the flood-hit area was another cause of concern for the authorities in Sindh and Balochistan flood-hit areas, officials said.

“As per Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response (IDSR) data from flood-hit areas in Sindh, Balochistan and KP, both vector-borne and water-borne diseases are on the decline due to human interventions and improvement in the weather conditions.

Provision of clean water, medicines and other facilities are resulting in a decrease in cholera, acute watery diarrhoea and other water-borne diseases”, an official in the NIH said. Similarly, the incidence of skin and eye infections was also declining while a decrease in Leishmaniasis cases, which is caused by a Leishmaniasis sand fly in the border districts of Balochistan and Sindh, was also reported, the official further claimed.

At the same time, cases of malaria have also started declining due to awareness, preventive measures and steps taken by the authorities, the official said, adding that due to the provision of insecticide-impregnated bed nets and mosquito repellents to the people in the flood-hit areas, flood victims can now protect themselves from deadly mosquitoes.

“Hundreds of thousands of people are without shelters in the flood-hit areas where winters prove to be very harsh. We are fearing an increase in cases of pneumonia and severe acute malnutrition among women and children as well as the elderly population”, Dr Baseer Khan Achakzai, Director of Health Programs at NHS,R&C told The News.

He also confirmed that malaria cases had started declining in addition to water-borne diseases in the flood-hit areas but added that infectious was not over and they would continue to pose challenges for the people and authorities.

Director General Health Balochistan Dr Noor Muhammad Qazi claimed malaria was still on the rise in Balochistan, adding that doctors were giving anti-malarial and antibiotic ‘like candies’ for the treatment. “But our biggest concern is pneumonia and respiratory infections as people are living in open,” Dr Qazi added.