Timely community action and strengthened health services will determine how many more young lives are placed at risk before cooler weather arrives, health workers say.
Experts stress the need for sustained, multi-sectoral action: improved waste management, better urban infrastructure, public education, and research into vaccines or novel vector controls. Sri Lanka’s experience with malaria eradication shows what coordinated efforts can achieve.
WHO has made the data accessible through an interactive online dashboard and updated Global Health Observatory pages, allowing countries to examine national and regional trends from 2000 to 2021.
As Karachi battles these shortages, the episode serves as a stark reminder of the fragility of urban infrastructure in rapidly growing megacities facing governance and maintenance challenges.