• Health dept data says 417,213 cases reported last year across province
• Over 3,600 cases registered in Karachi
• Experts say malaria could be deadly if left untreated
• Worsening sanitation, drainage conditions termed contributing factors

KARACHI: Huge swarms of mosquitoes thriving over poor sanitation and drainage conditions invaded almost the whole province this year, making more than 555,000 people ill with malaria and killing two people, it emerged on Sunday.

The health department data show that this year’s cases are much higher than last year’s, which saw 417,213 cases with 24 deaths.

This year’s mortalities from the mosquito-borne illness were reported in Tando Allah Yar and Tharparkar. The total number of reported malaria cases this year so far in the province is 555,433.

The data also indicate that despite the change in weather, the situation is still challenging in several districts as over 5,000 cases were officially recorded in three days from Dec 21 to Dec 23.

A total of 1,567 cases were reported on a single day (Dec 23) across the province. The hotspots were Jamshoro 380, Dadu 203, Larkana 147 and Jacobabad 135.

“Since officials are reporting more than 555,000 cases, one can easily assume that the actual number of cases would be much higher as the government doesn’t have an efficient reporting system,” Dr Abdul Ghafoor Shoro of the Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) said, while sharing details of his recent visit to the interior parts of Sindh.

According to him, while the cold weather has contained the spread of mosquitoes, reducing the numbers of malaria cases, the situation with respect to sanitation and drainage conditions in the province hasn’t improved. In fact, it has worsened.

“The higher number of cases reported this year indicates zero efforts on part of the government to eliminate breeding grounds of mosquitoes.”

The province, he pointed out, was still reeling from the after-effects of last year’s devastating floods as water especially in lower parts of Sindh was still standing.

“Continued discharge of sewage aggravates the conditions, providing breeding grounds to mosquitoes. Cases of malaria and dengue are still being reported in Karachi as well as other parts of the province.”

Malaria, the PMA representative stated, could be deadly if a patient was left untreated. “The illness lowers platelet level, increasing vulnerability for internal bleeding. It can also cause renal failure due to complications.”

According to the health department data on division-wise malaria, 3,636 cases were reported in Karachi, 24,078 in Shaheed Benazirabad, 109,258 in Mirpurkhas, 125,739 in Larkana, 29,612 in Sukkur and 258,065 in Hyderabad.

The total number of patients screened for malaria was 3,718,534.

The number of cases district wise: Hyderabad (40,061), Jamshoro (34,534), Tando Allah Yar (9,625), Mitiari (8,175), Tando Muhammad Khan (5,658), Dadu (34,190), Thatta (55,292), Sujawal (23,724), Badin (46,806), Sukkur (18,116), Khairpur (8,912), Ghotki (2,584), Larkana (49,291), Shikarpur (23,278), Jacoba­bad (26,419), Kashmore (6,791), Qam­bar Shahdadkot (19,960), Mirpurkhas (40,625), Umerkot (498,560), Tharparkar (18,777), Shaheed Benazirabad (10,935), Sanghar (3,828), Naushahro Feroze (9,315), Karachi South (594), Karachi West (324), Karachi East (304), Malir (1,820), Central (123) and Korangi (471). No case had been reported in district Kaemari.

Published in Dawn, December 25th, 2023