Karachi: Torrential rains and the looming threat of floods have set off alarm bells across Sindh and Punjab, with health authorities warning of a dangerous rise in vector-borne and waterborne diseases. Officials fear that stagnant floodwater could soon unleash outbreaks of Malaria, Dengue, Cholera, Acute Watery Diarrhea, Gastroenteritis, and Typhoid, creating a potential public health emergency in the coming weeks.
In Sindh, the Directorate General of Health Services has issued urgent directives to all District Health Officers (DHOs) to immediately launch larviciding, fogging, and indoor spraying operations in mosquito breeding hotspots. Special instructions have been given for flood-prone districts of Sukkur Division — Ghotki, Khairpur and Sukkur — and Larkana Division — Larkana, Kamber Shahdadkot, Shikarpur, Jacobabad and Kashmore-Kandhkot — where health experts say the risks are highest.
Punjab is also on high alert as swollen rivers and overflowing canals inundate low-lying areas. Health authorities in southern Punjab districts, including Rajanpur, Dera Ghazi Khan, Muzaffargarh and Rahim Yar Khan, have warned of a sharp increase in both mosquito-borne and waterborne diseases due to stagnant water, unsafe drinking supplies, and poor sanitation conditions.
“The combination of floodwater and heavy rains is a breeding ground not only for mosquitoes that spread Malaria and Dengue but also for deadly bacteria and viruses that cause cholera, diarrhea, typhoid and gastroenteritis,” a senior health official warned, adding that overcrowded relief camps and disruption of clean water supplies could accelerate outbreaks.
The Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) has already sounded the alarm, warning that high floods are imminent as India continues to release water from its dams and heavy rains lash the upper catchment areas of the eastern rivers. Public health experts say the twin threat of vector-borne and waterborne diseases could be as devastating as the floods themselves if urgent preventive measures are not taken.
District Health Officers in both Sindh and Punjab have been directed to appoint focal persons, mobilize malaria and dengue control staff, and submit daily reports on anti-mosquito operations. In addition, health workers are being told to step up surveillance for diarrhea, cholera and typhoid in flood-hit areas, while hospitals are being put on alert to manage a potential surge in patients.
Authorities have also appealed to the public to protect themselves. People have been advised to avoid stagnant water, use mosquito nets, keep drinking water covered and boiled, and maintain strict hygiene to reduce risks. “The flood situation is dangerous enough, but the real disaster will be if epidemics break out in relief camps and villages cut off by water,” a health expert cautioned.
Medical professionals have called for swift inter-provincial coordination, pointing out that the movement of displaced populations between Sindh and Punjab could accelerate the spread of infectious diseases. “We are looking at a possible double crisis — massive floods followed by epidemics that could overwhelm hospitals and threaten thousands of lives,” the official added.
With both Sindh and Punjab under imminent threat, health authorities say only aggressive spraying, chlorination of water supplies, and mass awareness campaigns can avert an outbreak that could turn the flood disaster into a full-scale health catastrophe.
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