Diseases affecting children in aftermath of monsoon rains, flooding

PESHAWAR: A noted pediatrician Prof Dr Mohammad Hussain has said that despite great advances in medicine over the past few decades, medical complications arising from natural disasters are still extremely common.

These are particularly problematic for the children in developing countries like Pakistan where resources are limited and the infrastructure weak. The recent torrential rain and floods that have inundated vast portions of the country is definitely a great risk for upsurge and spread of many diseases in children, said Prof Muhammad Hussain, the president-elect Pakistan Paediatrics Association KP.

“Unfortunately, awareness about these evident conditions is lacking in the general population. In order to educate the public about this extremely important issue, I have summarised all the diseases that have historically seen a sudden upsurge after natural disasters like these rains,” he said, adding that diarrhea and hepatitis-A are two major diseases caused by contamination of water and floods.