Health Effects of Floods in Pakistan

The prevalence of diseases has increased in flood-affected areas all across Pakistan. Besides injuries, exposure to dirty water and the lack of access to clean drinking water can cause many diseases ranging from skin infections to diarrhea. Thousands of flood victims are suffering and may lose their lives because they do not have access to healthcare facilities. Over 1,000 have been injured during the recent floods. So far, more than 160,000 flood survivors have received treatments in KPK alone, but many still await medical care across the country. This article will improve your understanding of some of the major health effects of floods in Pakistan.   

Water-Borne and Vector-Borne Diseases

As the name indicates, water-borne diseases spread via contaminated water. Drinking or preparing food with contaminated water can lead to serious diseases such as diarrhea and dysentery. Even when dirty water is not consumed, contact with it can cause skin, eye, and ear infections. Many charitable organizations like Transparent Hands are also holding preventive healthcare sessions to raise awareness about water contamination, hygiene, and ways to prevent water-borne diseases. The prevalence of malaria and dengue, which are spread by mosquitoes, also increases in flooded areas.

Transparent Hands’ team is providing free diagnostic tests and medicines for malaria. Through our free flood relief camps numerous patients are also receiving check-ups and treatments for various water-borne diseases.

Diarrheal Diseases in Pakistan

Problems Related to Hygiene

Floods have a detrimental effect on water distribution and drainage systems, and as a result, many diseases spread. Exposure to dirty water causes a variety of skin, ear, and eye infections. This is why many nonprofits are focusing on raising funds to improve the supply of clean drinking water and sanitation in flood-affected areas. Flood affectees are also in urgent need of medicines to overcome these health problems.

Physical Injuries

The fast-moving flood water brings along rocks, pieces of broken buildings, branches of trees, and many other dangerous objects. People can get seriously injured when they encounter flood water. Traversing through flooded areas can also cause a variety of injuries. Another health problem faced by a lot of flood victims is hypothermia. Thousands of injured affectees in Pakistan are in urgent need of first aid and medical care 

Lack of Proper Healthcare

Millions of flood victims, including pregnant women and children, do not have access to healthcare facilities. A large number of hospitals and healthcare centers across Pakistan were already overburdened and many of them have been destroyed by the flood. Some flood victims are unable to reach healthcare centers, while others cannot afford to pay for their treatments. 

Pediatric Health Conditions in Pakistan

Cases of diarrhea and skin infection are already rising in many food-hit parts of the country and the affectees desperately need medicines and treatments. 

Transparent Hands’ Role in Mitigating the Health Effects of Floods

Transparent Hands is the largest online crowdfunding platform in Pakistan’s healthcare sector. We arrange free medical camps and preventive healthcare sessions in the remote and rural areas of Pakistan and provide free surgical and medical treatments to underprivileged patients. We’re currently focusing on helping flood victims in the most impacted areas with free medical camps and our food distribution program. Besides first aid, medicines including Pyodine, Antibiotics, Antimalarials, Bandages, Antipyretics, Analgesics, Anti-inflammatory Drugs, Eye Drops, Ear Drops, and Multivitamins are being distributed at the free medical camps.  Transparent Hands’ medical experts are also empowering the flood victims with important information about health-related issues through preventive healthcare sessions.

Donate now to help Transparent Hands save the lives of thousands of flood victims all across Pakistan.