Karachi’s rise in vector-borne diseases reflects government failures in sanitation, not just climate change concerns
The Sindh government is working overtime to blame climate change and the weather for the alarming rise in vector-borne diseases in Karachi, not because their eyes have suddenly been opened to the threat of climate change, but because it allows them to deflect from their own responsibility in the spread of preventable diseases.
The stark reality, however, is that Karachi is consistently ranked among the least liveable cities in the world, ‘credit’ for which is shared by the city and provincial governments. But since both have been run by the PPP for over a decade, it is hard to make a case to blame anyone else for the city’s awful sanitation and drainage systems – which lead to flooding and overflowing sewage lines whenever it rains – or the general lack of cleanliness that creates conditions in which disease vectors thrive. Some critics have also pointed to the city’s erratic fumigation policy, with many areas only getting attention after disease outbreaks.
Meanwhile, the government has most recently also tried to downplay their failure by ‘creating awareness’ of the fact that chikungunya is rarely fatal. It is worth noting that dengue fever has a similar mortality rate, while polio’s is significantly lower. Trying to downplay a painful and potentially debilitating disease by highlighting its low mortality rate is another appalling attempt to reduce anger against the government. The failure to keep Karachi clean is not only responsible for a rise in vector-borne diseases. Hospitals and health facilities have limited bed space, and the system is under unnecessary strain from people with preventable diseases, causing additional suffering for patients with several other severe ailments.
Without improving cleanliness and running systematic fumigation operations, awareness drives are an exercise in futility. If paying for these things is an issue, the government should note the economic cost of preventable diseases and treat it as a direct investment in the city’s economy.
Editorial published in the Express Tribune on 4th November 2024