Water-Borne Diseases Outbreak in Karachi Amidst Heavy Rains
by Hamna Bano
SHARES
The recent spells of monsoon rain in Karachi have brought with them a number of water-borne diseases like cholera, malaria, dengue, and diarrhea. The stagnant rain water along with sewage water has become breeding grounds for mosquitoes that are causing malaria and dengue.
Stinking garbage stacks and remains of sacrificial animals in several localities have become the major cause of respiratory issues among residents. The Health Department of Sindh has reported a huge increase in the cases of dengue, cholera, diarrhea, and cholera.
According to the official stats, a total of 1,345 dengue cases have been reported in the province so far in 2022. Out of these, 1,049 cases have been reported alone in Karachi.
𝐖𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫-𝐁𝐨𝐫𝐧𝐞 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐎𝐮𝐭𝐛𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐤!#Cholera, #Malaria, #Dengue, and #typhoid surge in #Karachi amid #heavyrainfalls. The number of dengue cases has shot up to 1,345.
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.#HealthCareCrisis #SindhHealth #SolveSindhHealthProblems #HealthwireNews
— Healthwire News (@HealthwireNews) August 10, 2022
At least 20 to 25 dengue patients on average are being reported at the Civil Hospital Karachi. Jinnah Hospital Karachi has also been receiving 15 to 20 cases daily.
98 cases of Malaria have been reported from Karachi so far this year. With that, more than 414 cases of Cholera have been reported in Sindh. Since March of 2022, the Sindh Health Department has reported a total of 229,591 cases of diarrhea among children aged less than 5. On the other hand, the number of dysentery cases in children has reached 25,927. Above the age of 5, the cases reported are 34,991.
General Physician Jinnah Hospital Dr. Umer Sultan told the media that, “epidemics like dengue, malaria, cholera, and diarrhea have been on the rise due to stagnant rainwater and non-disposal of offals of sacrificial animals after Eid-ul-Azha.”
“Dengue and malaria are caused by mosquito bites, while typhoid, diarrhea, and cholera are water-borne diseases that are caused by consumption of contaminated water and substandard food. Dengue-carrying mosquito breeds in clean water, while malaria-causing mosquito germinates in polluted water,” he added.
The health department has advised using mosquito nets and insect repellents to keep the residents and citizens safe.
