As the nation struggles with mosquito-borne diseases brought on by the recent floods, the health ministry was given the all-clear to order 6.2 million mosquito nets from India on Tuesday.
Health officials claim that the World Health Organization (WHO) is purchasing the nets for Pakistan using funding from the Global Fund. The officials stated that they want to get the nets via the Wagah route by the middle of November and that they intend to acquire them as soon as possible.
“Malaria is spreading at a rapid pace in 32 flood-affected districts of the country where thousands of children are infected with the mosquito-borne disease,” they said, adding they are facing difficulties in its treatment.
They said that in places devastated by flooding, malaria has grown to be a serious public health concern. The health ministry reportedly requested authorization to buy mosquito nets from India last month.
The official claimed that they had asked the Global Fund to arrange mosquito nets for the 26 most affected Sindh, Punjab, and Baluchistan districts, where Plasmodium Falciparum cases were astronomically high. In response, the Global Fund had offered to buy the nets from India if the government of Pakistan would permit it to buy from its arch-rival neighboring state.
“We have written a letter to the Ministry of Commerce to grant permission for the procurement of mosquito nets from India. If allowed, the Global Fund has assured us of arranging the required number of mosquito nets within a few days,” an official had shared at the time the ministry was approached.
