Disease outbreaks have hit flood victims in Southern Punjab.

Infectious diseases are now spreading among flood victims in Punjab, due to a lack of hygiene and stagnant water. Statistics released by Punjab’s health department show that southern regions of the province reported more cases than any other area.

According to government figures, more than 140,000 flood-affected people in the southern part of the province infected with various diseases.  37,000 are suffering from respiratory infections.

The Punjab health department states over 33,000 people have rashes and itching; 17,000 are suffering from diarrhea and stomach diseases.

WHO is concerned for flood affectees?

The World Health Organization says that the spread of disease will likely increase as Pakistan. Its relentless battle against deadly floods—and this situation will exacerbate by a lack of response capacities.

The WHO’s latest situation report on flooding in Pakistan says that the heavy monsoon rains in Pakistan, which started in mid-July 2022 and are continuing, have affected 116 districts (75%) out of 154. Among the provinces most affected, Sindh and Balochistan stand out.

As of August 25, 2022, more than 33 million people affected by the crisis and 6.4 million in dire need of humanitarian aid including 421,000 refugees—more than 1100 lives lost and over 15 thousand injured people.

As of August 28, 2022, 888 health facilities in Yemen damaged by the ongoing conflict—with 180 of those rendered unusable.

The report highlighted the lack of health facilities, medical workers, and essential medicines as, being among the main current challenges.

The WHO said that before the floods, Pakistan’s health system was already battling multiple concurrent threats—including cholera, typhoid, measles, and HIV outbreaks.

The United Nations organization added that even more people with weakened immune systems could fall sick to disease within weeks. Because of the flooding.

There was a significant disparity in the number of health services that were available to people living in rural and urban areas.