Flood-borne viral diseases kill 9 in Sindh in 24 hours

Karachi: At least nine people have been reported dead of infectious and viral diseases in Sindh on Monday. Infectious diseases have spread to tens of thousands of people in flood-hit Pakistan, Ministry of Health data shows, ARY News reported. 

The death toll amid the floods has reached 1,559, including 551 children and 318 women, excluding the diseases caused by infectious deaths, the NDMA told.

Viral diseases such as malaria, dengue fever, diarrhoea, and skin infections ravage flood-affected as the water starts to recede. The water would take at least 2-6 months to recede completely, officials said.

Among the 9 reported dead in the last 24 hours, including five men and four women, three belonged to Noshero Feroz, and two each from Jacobabad, Tando Allahyar and Umerkot.

A total of 318 flood-related casualties have been reported in Sindh since the start of July, the PDMA told.  The report said over 72,000 patients were treated on Monday at makeshift or mobile hospitals set up in flood-hit regions.

Over 2.7 million people have been treated at these facilities since July 1, the report said.

Record monsoon rains and glacial melt in northern Pakistan triggered the flooding that has impacted nearly 33 million people in the South Asian nation of 220 million, sweeping away homes, crops, bridges, roads and livestock in damages estimated at $30 billion.

Also Read: Sindh flood emergency arrangements finalized: PDMA

Hundreds of thousands of people who have been displaced are living in the open, exposing them to the diseases spread in the stagnant waters. They are in dire need of food, shelter, clean drinking water, toilets and medicines, authorities have said. read more