ISLAMABAD: The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has donated US$ 1 million to support the World Health Organization’s (WHO) partnership with Pakistan in responding to the health needs of more than 465,000 people affected by ongoing monsoon floods across 33 high-risk districts in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh, Punjab, and Balochistan.
According to WHO, the six-month initiative will strengthen preparedness and response through disease surveillance, outbreak management, supply of essential medicines, health sector coordination, and community engagement. Special focus will be given to pregnant women, children under five, the elderly, persons with disabilities, and internally displaced persons (IDPs).
WHO Representative in Pakistan, Dr. Dapeng Luo, welcomed the donation, calling it “a generous and timely support” that would help WHO teams and authorities provide life-saving assistance in flood-hit areas.
Since August 15, flash floods in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have killed 450 people and injured 265, affecting more than 860,000 people, according to the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA). At the national level, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has reported 802 deaths, 1,088 injuries, and widespread destruction of 89 health facilities, 7,465 houses, 238 bridges, and 658 km of roads.
WHO has already dispatched medical supplies to treat 15,000 patients in KP and since June has sent health kits nationwide to cover 380,000 displaced persons. Under the Monsoon Contingency Plan 2025, WHO and partners are preparing emergency health support for 1.3 million vulnerable people in 33 districts.
