Potential for a 'second disaster in Pakistan: a wave of fatal diseases' - the outcome of the unprecedented floods and the role of climate change

Abstract

Pakistan experienced a severe flood disaster recently in July-August 2022 due to incessant monsoon rains. It faced a similar scenario in June again this year (2023). The disaster, unfortunately, happened simultaneously when Pakistan was experiencing economic hardships and had only started showing signs of recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. Affecting about one-third of the nation’s territory, millions of homes were either damaged or lost forever due to the floods. As the affected population was displaced and local health units submerged, flood relief camps by public and private sector welfare organizations were engaged to meet the humanitarian requirements of the victims. Vector-borne diseases due to the floods alongside the still ongoing COVID-19 pandemic affected relief efforts. The majority of healthcare professionals were ill-prepared to oversee the flood-affected medical relief camps of that dimension due to the lack of set procedures and protocols, and they learned from their experiences as the situations unfolded. While the situation is still grave from the floods of the previous year, the same again occurring this year in June at a time when the COVID-19 pandemic is still around the corner is certainly a matter of human health and environmental concern. As natural disasters wreak massive destruction every few years there, strategies and the set hazard mitigation and disaster preparedness protocols need to be ensured.