The disease burden reported a 14 percent increase to 31,536 cases per district during October from September, when 27,587 cases had been reported. Around 92 districts reported 2,901,262 disease incidences in the observed month compared to the previous month’s cases (2,400,052) in 87 districts reported a Free and Fair Election (FAFEN) report released on Friday.
FAFEN monitors visited 92 district health offices and reported that except for Respiratory Tract Infections and meningitis, that increased by 10 percent and 20 percent, cases registered under all other disease categories had fallen. Gastrointestinal infections had lowered by 15 percent, scabies (4 percent), animal bites (10 percent), viral diseases (28 percent), diseases transmitted through mosquitoes (23 percent), and bacterial diseases (12 percent).
Respiratory Tract Infections constituted 48 percent of the disease burden with 90 districts reporting 1,384,495 cases compared to cases in the preceding month (1,164,715) as reported in 83 districts. However, gastrointestinal infections registered a 15 percent drop with 91 districts recording 527,268 cases against the previous figures of 580,132 cases in 85 districts. Diarrhoea and dysentery had decreased by 20 percent while gastroenteritis went up by17 percent.
Among skin diseases, scabies had registered a 4 percent fall from 3,692 cases to 3,548 incidents during October. Animal bites also dropped by 10 percent, around 867 cases of snake bites had been registered in 53 districts and 9,721 dog bite cases had reported in 71 districts.
Hepatitis had dominated viral diseases with a 94 percent share out of a total 2,532 cases. Around 37 districts reported 2,370 cases of hepatitis. Measles had 17 cases registered in 16 districts and there were 13 probable poliomyelitis cases in Mardan and 12 suspected AIDS cases in Gujrat (8) and Sargodha (4). Among diseases transmitted through mosquitoes, dengue and malaria were observed. In this category, 25 districts reported 3,191 cases, all of malaria. Such diseases fell 12 percent during October.
Around 32 districts reported 143 maternal mortality cases in October compared to the previous month’s figures of 145 in 33 districts. However, infant mortality saw a decline from 62 cases per district to 61 and child mortality from 35 cases to 27.
14% rise in overall disease burden: FAFEN
