Iqbal Maham, Rabbani Azkah, Haq Fatima, Bhimani Sunaina
Dow University of Health Sciences, Karachi, Pakistan.
Ann Med Surg (Lond). 2022 Nov 5;84:104800. doi: 10.1016/j.amsu.2022.104800. eCollection 2022 Dec.
Pakistan is currently going through the worst-ever recorded flood crisis. The 2022 floods have created unprecedented destruction, especially in the coastal regions of the country. Almost one-third of Pakistan has drowned, merely as a consequence of climate change which is impacting many countries around the globe, with the South Asian countries at the greatest risk due to their proximity to the equator. The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has reported millions of people to be affected by the catastrophic floods. The country is also going through a major economic crisis due to livestock and agriculture being destroyed, which has led to severe food shortages resulting in the flood victims being vulnerable to malnutrition as well. Health care has also been severely affected, with a serious outbreak of waterborne diseases including diarrhea, dengue fever, malaria. Thousands of pregnant women are unable to access maternity services and menstrual hygiene products are also unavailable in flood-stricken areas. The Government of Pakistan should address this urgent matter as a priority and necessary steps should be taken to try and contain this catastrophe.
巴基斯坦目前正经历有记录以来最严重的洪灾危机。2022年的洪水造成了前所未有的破坏,尤其是在该国沿海地区。仅仅由于气候变化,巴基斯坦近三分之一的地区被淹没,气候变化正影响着全球许多国家,南亚国家因其靠近赤道而面临最大风险。国家灾害管理局(NDMA)报告称,数百万人受到这场灾难性洪水的影响。由于牲畜和农业遭到破坏,该国还正经历一场重大经济危机,这导致了严重的粮食短缺,使洪水受害者也容易营养不良。医疗保健也受到了严重影响,包括腹泻、登革热、疟疾在内的水传播疾病严重爆发。成千上万的孕妇无法获得产妇服务,受灾地区也没有月经卫生用品。巴基斯坦政府应将这一紧急事项作为优先事项加以处理,并应采取必要措施来努力遏制这场灾难。