By: Mahwish Arif
Pakistan has had extensive experience with floods, but over the past few years, their severity and impact have become alarming. The devastating 2022 floods affecting more than 33 million people were a stark reminder of the way climate change converted seasonal rains into national disasters. Yet, under the devastation of homes and agriculture lies a quieter, deadly crisis: the pandemic of flood-borne illness and catastrophic health stress on an already fragile system.
When floodwaters inundate villages and towns, they leave behind more than rubble. Standing water is a breeding ground for mosquitoes, and it results in outbreaks of dengue and malaria. Dirty water consumed for drinking spreads cholera, diarrhea, and typhoid. The following is one mother’s experience in Sindh: “We fled from the flood, but then my children got sick. The water that we drank made them weaker every day.”
Millions of Pakistanis were at risk of waterborne diseases after the 2022 floods, and the threat still continues in 2025, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Poor sanitation in relief camps, accompanied by crowding, accelerates the spread of infectious diseases, and make-shift shelters become disease hubs.
The link between climate change and health in Pakistan is undeniable. Prolongation of the life cycle of mosquitoes by rising temperatures and weakening of immunity by intense heatwaves make people vulnerable to infections. Clinicians warn that psychological stress because of climate aggravates malnutrition, especially among children and women of reproductive age. A report by UNICEF says one in five children in affected communities suffers from acute malnutrition, yielding a risk generation.
Pakistan’s healthcare system, already stretched thin, struggles to cope with these emergencies. Rural areas, where most flood victims live, often lack hospitals, clean water, and trained medical staff. During recent floods, many women gave birth in unsafe conditions without access to midwives or medicines. “Our health system was not designed for climate disasters of this scale,” said a doctor volunteering in Balochistan.
Flooding and disease outbreaks also take a mental toll. Families who have been displaced live in continuous stress, with children showing signs of trauma and anxiety. Mental health services are woefully lacking and seldom part of disaster relief.
The crisis is a wake-up call. Experts have underlined that health needs to become the hub of Pakistan’s climate adaptation policies. Improving disease surveillance systems, increasing mobile health facilities, and providing clean water and sanitation in flood-affected areas can save thousands of lives. Investment in vaccination programs, maternal and child healthcare, and mental health care are equally urgent.
In addition, local communities can be educated with information about hygiene and preventive behavior to reduce the transmission of disease. As another health worker in Sindh intervened, “Even little things such as boiling water or using mosquito nets can work wonders if people are given proper support.”
Floods in Pakistan are not natural calamities anymore, but public health emergencies. The spread of waterborne and vector-borne diseases and the climate change stress are threatening millions of lives annually. Protecting the health of the country entails preparing against future climate threats. Pakistan does not need to wait for the next flood; the time to build a resilient health system is now.
