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Persistent disease outbreaks and malnutrition in Tharparkar, Pakistan: Natural disaster or man-made public health crisis?
journal contribution
posted on 2019-02-21, 00:00 authored by AW Khan, Andrew Taylor-RobinsonOver the last decade a humanitarian crisis has developed in Tharparkar, a largely rural district in the south of Pakistan that is increasingly inhospitable to human habitation. A combination of food shortages, poor diet, a shortage of clean drinking water and inadequate hygiene has caused malnutrition and outbreaks of disease. This has led to the death of thousands of people – primarily newborn infants, pregnant mothers and young children – as well as livestock. While this is a land of restricted rainfall and limited natural resources, an emerging disaster been exacerbated by a dearth of basic infrastructure and deficient public health facilities. By imposing bold strategic administration and economic investment to supplement short-term aid it may be possible to bring sustained relief to the people of this impoverished region, thereby averting the prospect of famine and diseases of poverty.
History
Volume
4Issue
1Start Page
477End Page
481Number of Pages
5eISSN
1872-9045ISSN
2059-5409Publisher
Coventry University, UKAdditional Rights
CCPeer Reviewed
- Yes
Open Access
- Yes
Acceptance Date
2018-03-01External Author Affiliations
Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan; University of Swat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, PakistanEra Eligible
- Yes