ISLAMABAD:  The World Health Organization (WHO) said that the devastating flood scenario in Pakistan would almost certainly accelerate the spread of disease as the nation continues its tenacious fight against the fatal floods.

In its latest situation report on flooding in Pakistan, the WHO noted that  the severe monsoon rains that began in mid-June are still continuing in several parts of the nation and have affected 116 districts (75%) out of the total 160 districts, according to Geo News.  Sindh is the province most impacted, followed by Balochistan.

The WHO study finds that as of August 25, more than 33 million people had been impacted and that over 6.4 million people, including 421,000 refugees, were in urgent need of humanitarian assistance.

There have been more than 1,100 fatalities and close to 15,000 injuries. According to the WHO study, 180 out of the 888 health institutions that have been destroyed throughout the nation as of August 28 are fully ruined. This is what the WHO referred to as the "severe" impact on health facilities. "Access to health facilities, health care personnel, and key medicines and medical supplies remain the main health challenges for now", it said.

The WHO noted that even before the current floods, there was a large discrepancy in access to health care between rural and urban communities. These dangers to public health include Covid-19, as well as outbreaks of cholera, typhoid, measles, leishmaniasis, and HIV.

In the meantime, health professionals have raised the alarm about the illness outbreak in flood-affected areas, projecting that five million people will become ill in the ensuing four to twelve weeks.

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