Karachi: Dengue has claimed its 39th life in Sindh after a seven-year-old girl from Hyderabad died in the past 24 hours, a grim milestone that health officials say is being intensified by Pakistan’s unusually warm and dry winter.
New climate data released by the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) shows temperatures running above normal and rainfall dropping below seasonal averages across much of the country, conditions that are now prolonging mosquito activity and stretching the dengue season deeper into December.
According to the Sindh Health Department, the province recorded 13 dengue deaths in October, 25 in November and one so far in December, bringing the total to 39 for the year.
Hyderabad has reported 20 deaths, Karachi 17, while Tando Muhammad Khan and Tando Allahyar have confirmed one death each. In the last 24 hours, 173 new dengue cases were reported across Sindh after nearly 2,000 tests were conducted. Karachi accounted for 117 infections and Hyderabad 56. Forty-eight patients are currently admitted in hospitals.
Health officials say this month’s dengue burden reflects a clear climate-linked shift. Under normal patterns, dengue transmission slows as temperatures drop in late November, but PMD’s seasonal outlook shows above-normal temperatures across almost the entire country, with anomalies reaching two degrees above normal in some northern districts.
National mean temperatures were already half a degree above the long-term average from September to November.
PMD warns the December to February period will be hotter and drier than usual, with below-normal rainfall across northern Punjab, KP, Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan. The early winter dryness has lowered soil moisture, slowed reservoir recovery and left rain-fed agriculture more vulnerable to irrigation shortages. Winter crops in Punjab, KP and Sindh may face faster pest activity due to the warmer conditions.
These same patterns are keeping mosquito breeding active. Health experts say stagnant water around residential areas, warmer nights and sanitation gaps are giving Aedes mosquitoes a longer survival window. The extended warmth mirrors the lingering dengue waves seen in Karachi, Lahore and parts of KP in recent years, when case numbers stayed high until late January.
The climate warning goes beyond dengue. PMD says prolonged dry spells in December are likely to trap pollutants near the surface, worsening smog episodes across Punjab’s plains and increasing respiratory illnesses, school closures and health advisories. Partial relief is expected only when rainfall increases in late January or February.
Water security is also under pressure. Below-normal rainfall in early winter could affect irrigation and hydropower generation, though some recovery is forecast later in the season.
For Sindh’s health system, the immediate challenge is the continuing dengue season at a time when cases should be falling. Officials have urged citizens to remove stagnant water, improve household cleanliness and use protective measures, warning that climate-driven shifts are making vector-borne diseases harder to control.
Experts say the latest death toll is another sign of how quickly climate change is reshaping health risks in Pakistan. The combination of warming winters, erratic rain and declining sanitation standards is creating the conditions for dengue to thrive long after its traditional peak. The province’s 39 deaths this year, including the most recent loss of a young child, underline how urgently authorities must adapt to these changing patterns.
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