Acute Watery Diarrhoea on rise in several areas of Pakistan

With the onset of the monsoon season in Pakistan, the independent medical humanitarian association, Médecins Sans Frontières / Doctors without Borders (MSF) is seeing an increase in the number of cases of acute watery diarrhoea (AWD) in different areas in Pakistan. The disease is endemic in Pakistan with a propensity towards outbreaks during the rainy season.   

In response, MSF in collaboration with the local health department has opened temporary diarrhoea treatment centres in existing hospitals in Hangu, Karachi and Kurram to help provide treatment to patients suffering from AWD and control the spread of disease.

 In less than three weeks, some 320 cases of AWD have been treated in Hangu. The hospital has seen an increasing number of patients with an average of 19 patients per day. In Kurram, 235 patients have received treatment so far this month, seven percent of whom are children under five years old. In Karachi, over 600 patients have received treatment since 11th June. Since June the MSF medical teams have treated more than 1,000 cases of AWD throughout the country.

Acute watery diarrhoea is a condition caused by contaminated drinking water, poor sanitation, and poor hygiene conditions. “It is an easily treatable disease, but it can spread quickly so prevention is as important as treatment,” says MSF Medical Coordinator Dr Erwin Lloyd D Guillergan. “People must maintain strict hygiene and seek medical assistance at the first sign of symptoms. Rehydration through the use of Oral Rehydration Salts (ORS) is imperative in the management of diarrhoea and prevention of deaths.”

To prevent the spread of the disease, MSF is providing clean drinking water and outreach teams are chlorinating water points in the same towns where they are providing medical care. Community Health Workers and health promoters are raising awareness among the community on prevention and proper hygiene. A surveillance system has been put in place to monitor the progress of the outbreak and as well as to respond elsewhere in the country if necessary.

In Dera Murad Jamali, Eastern Balochistan, as well as in Timurgara, Lower Dir, MSF is closely monitoring the situation and is prepared to respond should there be an outbreak.

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Posted by Tahir Khan on Aug 7 2013. Filed under Health, Latest News, Pakistan. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.