Hussain Bux Kolachi, Muhammad Najeeb Memon, Muhammad Ilyas Siddiqui.
Indus Water Related Mortality and Morbidity due to Water Borne Diseases Outbreak in Hyderabad.
Med Forum Jan ;2(6):26-9.

Introduction: Much of the ill health in developing countries is connected to unsafe drinking water. The number of sick people suffering from water borne diseases in a year is more than 2.5 billion out of this 2 million die. Diarrhea is top killer of children in Pakistan. River water is most polluted water and carries, chemical substances, pathogens, which cause water borne diseases. Indus river flows on the west of Hyderabad city. An outbreak of water borne diseases occurred in Hyderabad in 2004. Objectives: To analyze epidemiological data of water borne outbreak in Hyderabad during 2004. To collect data from various hospitals and director general health record, admission of patients and their mortality. To calculate the case fatality rate of water borne diseases among the patients who were treated admitted in Hyderabad city hospitals. Study Design: Epidemiological cross sectional study Place and Duration of Study: This study based on the data pertaining to Indus water pollution which occurred in the summer month of 2004.. Materials and Methods: The study is epidemiological based on the data of water borne diseases due to Indus water pollution in Hyderabad city. Five hospitals where patients were admitted and 8 sites from where water samples were collected and tested. A special proforma and survey of hospitals and director general health Sindh reports were used for the study. Results: There were 4979 patients who were admitted in big hospitals of Hyderabad. The laboratory report of the samples shows total dissolved salts 1536, coliform bacteria and conductivities parameters were unfit and above the permissible level of World health organization standards. Case fatality rate was 7.43 per thousand. Conclusion: The major hospitals were the main facilities to treat the patients. Only the fresh water from Sukkur barrage and community awareness of using safe and alternative water in Hyderabad improve the water borne outbreak. The medical universities must create awareness for water borne diseases.

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