Pakistan: Dengue outbreak worsens, cases exceed 30,000 this year | World news
Pakistan’s capital Islamabad reported 104 more dengue cases in the last 24 hours, bringing the total to 30,267 in the country this year, local media reported citing the Islamabad District Health Officer (DHO), on Saturday.
The capital has reported 2,435 cases in the current period, with a total of 1,379 dengue cases reported in rural areas and 952 out of urban areas of Islamabad, ARY News reported.
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The rising cases of dengue in Pakistan have claimed 68 lives so far this year, while the total cases have reached 30,267.
In the federal capital, the total number of cases has gone up to 2,435 while six people have lost their lives to the virus this year. According to sources, Sindh reported the most cases and deaths, ARY News reported.
Over 9,496 dengue cases, and 37 people have been reported dead in Sindh. Punjab reported 6,564 cases, and 18 people lost their lives to the virus. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa reported 8,070 cases and seven deaths, while Balochistan reported at least 3,402 dengue cases.
As areas in Pakistan continue to be affected by heavy rainfall and unprecedented flood levels, the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned of public health threats facing the affected population, including the risk of further spread of waterborne and vector-borne diseases such as malaria and dengue fever, ARY News reported.
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The country continues to report more and more dengue virus cases every day, with panic and fear spreading among the public as a shortage of anti-malarial drugs also emerges.
Adding to the dire situation, the fumigation drive has been halted because the Karachi Municipal Corporation (KMC) has run out of fuel, sources said.
Sources told ARY News that the fumigation drive has been stopped due to non-availability of fuel and diesel for the past four days.
The record monsoon and severe floods in Pakistan have caused hunger and various diseases affecting 33 million people and experts believe that the situation will worsen in the coming days as the flood forces are forced to live under the sky destroying the necessary materials.
Around 888 health centers have been destroyed in the country, of which 180 have been completely destroyed, leaving millions of people without access to health care and health care, as reported in many affected areas.
Pakistan receives heavy — often devastating — rains during the monsoon season each year, which is critical for agriculture and water supplies. But this year’s heavy rains have created havoc in the country, while glaciers have been melting rapidly in the north for months, putting pressure on waterways.
Large areas of the country are still under water and hundreds of thousands of people have been forced from their homes.
According to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), Pakistan is facing one of the worst flood events in its history. The human and economic toll is expected to increase as flood levels continue to rise, with greater pressure on the country’s dams.
