Pakistan: Karachi faces surge in vector-borne diseases amidst ineffective fumigation, poor sanitation

Karachi [Pakistan], October 9 : The city's fumigation efforts, though significantly delayed, have not yielded the expected outcomes. There has been a steady increase in cases of vector-borne diseases--such as dengue, malaria, and chikungunya--due to inadequate sanitation, unhygienic conditions, and a failing waste disposal system, all of which are severely impacting the health of Karachi residents.
The Sindh health department shared data showing that more than 1,500 people across the province were affected by the dengue virus in September alone, according to Dawn.
Most of the cases originated from District East, which also reported one death. Additionally, there has been an increase in cases of malaria and chikungunya.
Dr. Qaiser Sajjad, former secretary general of the Pakistan Medical Association, stated, "The number and variety of viruses and viral diseases have increased over the past 10 to 15 years. Gradually, we have seen an immense rise in this trend, and the reason is that Karachi has become a poorer city in terms of sanitation and cleanliness. I fear that with no proper and effective system in place to dispose of domestic and hospital waste and with a collapsing sewerage system, the situation will worsen over time."
He further noted that, in addition to dengue, malaria, and chikungunya cases, the city's troubling lack of cleanliness has also contributed to an increase in rhinoviruses, rhinopharyngitis, and typhoid, Dawn reported.
Despite the administration's claims of an "extensive" effort, the approach taken by municipal and health authorities has been called into question due to its lack of effectiveness, according to Dawn.
Epidemiology and surveillance expert Dr. Rana Jawad Asghar, who advised the federal health ministry on infectious diseases during the initial chikungunya outbreak in the city in 2016, criticised the fumigation strategy, noting that it has had minimal impact.
He stated, "We need to understand that the same type of mosquito spreads dengue, Zika virus, and chikungunya. You can't control it once the outbreak [of these diseases] starts. The move to contain or control this should begin months before an outbreak occurs Dawn reported.
The control strategy consists of several steps that span several months. We had devised proper and documented guidelines to control such outbreaks, but unfortunately, they aren't followed. The strategy we adopt, sadly, doesn't work and can't bring the required results."