Islamabad: Pakistan’s catastrophic monsoon floods have triggered a full-blown health emergency, with deadly outbreaks of dengue, malaria and acute watery diarrhea feared among displaced families while at least 68 health facilities lie damaged and thousands are left without medical care, World Health Organization (WHO) and local health experts warned.
They warned that the disaster, which has already claimed 759 lives including 186 children, is now spiraling into a crisis of disease and disrupted healthcare.
According to WHO’s “Health Emergency: Situation Report # 6 Monsoon and Floods – 2025”, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has emerged as the worst-hit province, recording more than 380 deaths in districts including Buner, Bajaur, Shangla, Swat and Dir. Punjab confirmed 165 fatalities, Sindh 42, Gilgit-Baltistan 45, Balochistan 23, Islamabad 8 and Pakistan-administered Kashmir 22.
Among the dead are 458 men, 115 women and 186 children, while 993 people have been injured, including 271 children. In the past 24 hours, KP reported nine more deaths and 15 injuries.
Tens of thousands have fled their homes, with nearly 30,000 people crammed into 482 relief camps nationwide. Thousands more are sheltering with host families as fresh warnings of heavy rains threaten to worsen the disaster.
Vector-borne diseases are spreading at an alarming pace, with suspected dengue cases surging 28 percent in six weeks and an active outbreak reported in Charsadda. Malaria cases have jumped nearly 30 percent since June, while acute watery diarrhea has already been reported in Khuzdar, Balochistan, and Shaheed Benazirabad, Sindh.
The destruction of healthcare infrastructure has left thousands cut off from essential services. Out of 68 damaged facilities, 63 are partially functional but five have been completely destroyed, three in KP and two in Gilgit-Baltistan.
With roads, bridges and electricity lines washed away, patients face impossible journeys to reach medical care. More than 18,700 people have been treated in emergency medical camps, but many more remain unreached.
Authorities have scrambled to respond, with KP declaring a health emergency in public hospitals across six districts and setting up a flood disease surveillance system. In Gilgit-Baltistan, three field hospitals have been established and 11 IDP camps are housing over 3,000 people.
Punjab has formed a ministerial disaster committee, established flood control cells and pre-positioned medicines in high-risk areas. Section 144 has also been imposed to ban swimming in canals and rivers to prevent further casualties.
WHO has scaled up its response, sending medicines and supplies for 380,000 patients since June, including an emergency consignment to KP. Fifty thousand ORS sachets are being distributed in Punjab while hygiene kits and mosquito nets are reaching camps across all provinces.
Weekly coordination meetings are being held with the Ministry of Health, while flood control rooms and disease surveillance are being supported in KP. Standardized rapid needs assessment tools have also been shared with provincial health departments to guide emergency response.
Immediate priorities include uninterrupted healthcare in flood-hit areas through mobile medical teams and referrals, preventing outbreaks by ensuring safe water, sanitation and mosquito control. Authorities also emphasize protecting vulnerable groups including women, children, the elderly and persons with disabilities through targeted outreach and psychosocial support.
“This is no longer just about floods — Pakistan is facing a looming public health catastrophe,” a senior health official warned.
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