Floods - World Health Organization (WHO) Floods are the most frequent type of natural disaster and occur when an overflow of water submerges land that is usually dry Floods are often caused by heavy rainfall, rapid snowmelt or a storm surge from a tropical cyclone or tsunami in coastal areas Floods can cause widespread devastation, resulting in loss of life and damages to personal property and critical public health infrastructure
Floods: How to protect your health How do I protect my health in a flood? Since floods can potentially increase the transmission of water- and vector-borne diseases, such as typhoid fever, cholera, malaria, and yellow fever, among others, it is important to know your risk and protect your water sources
September 2024 Floods and Landslides In the third week of September, Nepal experienced heavy and continuous rainfall, which caused widespread destruction across 21 districts, with seven being severely affected Over 50 health facilities sustained damage The relentless downpours led to severe flooding, landslides and road blockages, disrupting transportation, livelihoods and public safety on a large scale
Impact in 2022 - Pakistan - World Health Organization (WHO) Impact in 2022: Pakistan WHO prevents disease outbreaks in flood-affected Pakistan The devastating floods in Pakistan and their aftermath severely disrupted the delivery of health services, with 10% of the country’s health facilities either damaged or destroyed and more than eight million people in urgent need of health assistance
Health inequities are shortening lives by decades A global report published by WHO highlights that the underlying causes of ill health often stem from factors beyond the health sector, such as lack of quality housing, education and job opportunities
Tropical Cyclones - World Health Organization (WHO) The health impacts of tropical cyclones depend on the number of people living in low-lying coastal areas in the storm’s direct path, the built environment including building design, and whether there is sufficient time for warning and evacuation Tropical cyclones, may directly and indirectly affect health in many ways, for example by: increasing cases of drowning and other physical trauma
Drought and food insecurity in the greater Horn of Africa Millions in the greater Horn of Africa are facing acute hunger as the region faces one of the worst droughts in recent decades, compounded by years of conflict and instability, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and rising food prices due to, in part, the war in Ukraine
Drought - World Health Organization (WHO) Drought is a prolonged dry period in the natural climate cycle that can occur anywhere in the world It is a slow-onset disaster characterized by the lack of precipitation, resulting in a water shortage Drought can have a serious impact on health, agriculture, economies, energy and the environment
Malaria - Pakistan - World Health Organization (WHO) From January through August 2022, more than 3 4 million suspected cases of malaria were reported in Pakistan compared with the 2 6 million suspected cases reported in 2021 Over 170 000 cases were laboratory confirmed, with the majority reported as Plasmodium vivax A rapid upsurge in cases was observed in Balochistan and Sindh provinces after the devastating floods in mid-June 2022, together