Dengue cases surge 41pc, malaria 26pc as floods cripple health system: WHO

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is facing a dangerous spike in epidemic-prone diseases with suspected dengue cases rising by 41 percent and malaria by 26 percent in just six weeks, while dozens of health facilities lie damaged or destroyed in flood-hit districts, the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned.

According to WHO’s latest situation report, outbreaks of acute watery diarrhea have already been confirmed in Balochistan’s Khuzdar and Sindh’s Shaheed Benazirabad, while skin infections, scabies, snake bites and dog bites are emerging as major health concerns in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP). The agency cautioned that stagnant floodwaters and collapsed infrastructure could trigger “an epidemic within a disaster.”

At least 104 health facilities across the country have been reported damaged — 97 partially and seven completely — leaving thousands without access to medical care when it is most needed. In KP, 60 Lady Health Worker (LHW) houses have been affected, of which 32 were completely destroyed. “Essential services have been disrupted at a time when disease outbreaks are accelerating,” WHO said. Since late June, monsoon rains, flash floods and glacial lake outburst floods have left 819 people dead and 1,111 injured nationwide. Punjab and KP remain the worst hit, with nearly 30,000 people currently living in relief camps. Children account for more than 200 of the reported fatalities.

In response, more than 610 medical camps have been established across the country, treating over 73,000 patients so far. Punjab and KP health departments have mobilized doctors, nurses and rapid response teams, while Rescue 1122 has evacuated nearly 240,000 people and continues to provide emergency medical care and transportation of critical patients to hospitals and camps. WHO has dispatched emergency health supplies to treat 380,000 patients and sent 50,000 oral rehydration salt sachets to Punjab’s hardest-hit areas. It has also delivered therapeutic food for more than 5,000 children suffering from severe acute malnutrition with medical complications in KP, Gilgit-Baltistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir. UNICEF has mobilized 6.5 tons of essential medicines, including antibiotics, newborn kits and clean delivery supplies, to bolster the response.

Meanwhile, provincial governments are struggling to contain the health fallout. Punjab’s Chief Minister has instructed district administrations to intensify preventive measures, while mobile health units, field hospitals and outpatient therapeutic programs have been rolled out in KP and Gilgit-Baltistan. Water filtration plants and rapid diagnostic teams are working in high-risk areas to monitor and curb disease outbreaks.

WHO has stressed that immediate priorities include uninterrupted delivery of medicines, diagnostic kits, and mental health and psychosocial support for displaced populations, along with ensuring safe drinking water and sanitation. Without urgent, sustained action, it warned, Pakistan’s health system risks being overwhelmed as floods continue to fuel the spread of deadly diseases.