Cholera confirmed in Pakistani flood disaster (up to 36,000 others have similar symptoms)

[Turborama]

Source: AP

By NAHAL TOOSI and MUNIR AHMED -

ISLAMABAD — A case of the deadly waterborne disease cholera has been confirmed in Pakistan's flood-ravaged northwest, and aid workers expect there to be more, the U.N. said Saturday. The discovery came as new flood surges hit the south and the prime minister said the deluge has made 20 million people homeless

=snip=

One case of cholera was confirmed in Mingora, the main town in the northwest's Swat Valley, U.N. spokesman Maurizio Giuliano said Saturday. Other cases were suspected, and aid workers are now responding to all those exhibiting acute watery diarrhea as if it is cholera, Giuliano said.

Cholera can lead to severe dehydration and death without prompt treatment, and containing cholera outbreaks is considered a high priority following floods

Read more: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jX_KetVCMo64AOZxSMudPWArFrJgD9HJ8CL00

---

UN confirms cholera case in Pakistan

By South Asia correspondent Sally Sara

ABC Australia

United Nations health workers have confirmed the first case of cholera in a flood-affected area of Pakistan.

The UN says cholera has been found at Mingora in the Swat Valley.

One person has been confirmed with the disease and up to 36,000 others have similar symptoms.

UN health workers are stepping up their efforts to deal with the illness, warning of a second wave of deaths as hunger and disease take hold across the country.

Full article: http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/08/14/2983005.htm

[hayu_lol]

1. These people should have had both cholera and typhoid shots...

something they could have had if their country would quit spending rivers of money on nukes.

[cosmicone]

3. Exactly .....

also a $9 billion missile program, $4.8 billion spy agency, a $8 billion air force, a $5.6 billion Navy and a standing army of 1 million soldiers when Pakistan is not threatened by any of its neighbors.

It is all towards a pipe-dream of conquering India all over like the muslim invaders of the 12th and 13th centuries to boost the ego smashed by 4 lost wars with India, one of them culminating in the dismembering of Pakistan.

Sadly, 70% of the aid will go towards bolstering the military rather than helping the people ... like in 2005, earthquake relief was diverted by Musharraf (as told in his memoirs)

[sabrina 1]

10. So, now that you have gotten that off your chest,

and you do know that the U.S. while bolstering its military allows thousands of its own citizens to die every year for lack of healthcare, are you saying the world should turn a blind eye to those millions of innocent human beings?

I am really shocked to see the callousness towards these people ... it's very sad. I am glad that there are people like Doctors Without Borders and the other aid organizations who do not allow politics to prevent them from being decent human beings and from doing what is clearly the right thing to do.

[cosmicone]

12. I respect what you are saying but

that kind of a viewpoint is detrimental to people in the long run.

Many countries have militaries and spy agencies but should those receiving aid have such a massive apparatus? Whose responsibility is it to make sure that the aid goes for the people?

In Africa, aid diverted to military cost millions of lives until those countries finally reduced the size of their forces.

Currently, Pakistan and North Korea are the only countries which have built a massive army, navy and air force, complete with nukes and missile, all of which are completely discongruent with their actual needs and ALL from aid money or loans.

If a woman is neglecting her children and refusing to take a job, we must help her children. But what if she is using the funds for children's formula on buying drugs and guns? How long should we then help the children without calling the woman to account?

[Turborama]

4. How many Americans have had these vaccines provided to them free by their government?

That's right, none.

How much bigger are the USA's "rivers of money on nukes" instead of providing healthcare for everyone? (rhetorical question, I think we all know the answer)

Nice way to express your empathy and appreciation of the millions of flood victims' dire current situation, btw.

[OhioChick]

5. Good point(s), actually n/t

[Drops_not_Dope]

6. oh there you go

inserting truth into a perfectly stated inhumane statement by that poster.

[sabrina 1]

9. Well, it's hardly their fault if their government would rather

spend money on weapons than on healthcare. Sort of like here.

This country allows 44,000 Americans to die every year for lack of healthcare even as we spend an obscene amount of money on nukes and other WMD not to mention drones, many times used to kill Pakistani civilians. Cutting our outrageous military budget in half would cover every American's health care needs and would have saved all those lives, and we'd still have more weapons than every country in the world combined.

I think right now considering the magnitude of this disaster and the potential for the deaths of very large numbers of innocent human beings, is hardly the time to be placing blame, especially considering our own poor record of taking care of our citizens. See NOLA eg.

I just hope that whatever help they need to avert an even greater tragedy, will be made available to them and that politics will be kept out of that decision for now

[OhioChick]

2. They just can't catch a break n/t

[Turborama]

7. WHO are estimating potentially 300,000 cases of cholera

Pakistan floods stoke cholera fears

=snip=

"We are expecting, of an (affected) population of 14 million people, 7 million cases of diarrhoea, of which 300,000 can be cholera," said Guido Sabatinelli, a representative from the World Health Organisation.

Manuel Bessler, the head of the UN office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, told Al Jazeera that many parts of the country are only accessible via helicopter, making it difficult to provide drinking water.

"The only means to bring in clean water is tankering, having trucks to reach the area," he said. "But the major challenge is access. In a lot of areas, particularly in the north, we have no access, with all the major bridges that lead over the Swat river washed away."

The United Nations warned on Friday that at least six million people already lack clean drinking water. The International Committee of the Red Cross issued a similar warning.

Full article: http://english.aljazeera.net/news/asia/2010/08/201081442342515262.html

[sabrina 1]

11. The numbers of those affected have gone up

according to your OP. Now it is 20 million affected. Bridges washed away does present a hug problem. I cannot even grasp how enormous a problem this is. I hope helicopters to bring supplies will be provided by other countries. I know that the U.S. has provided some and they were going to the northern part of the country. This picture, which seems to show a collapsed bridge, was taken from a U.S. army rescue helicopter:


Pictures taken from US rescue helicopter shows the flooded area of Kallam valley on August 9, 2010. (FAROOQ NAEEM/AFP/Getty Images

[ihavenobias]

8. Kick n/t