Gastroenteritis outbreak in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

A large outbreak of gastroenteritis has been reported in several districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in recent weeks. The local Health Department has recorded 19,534 cases between February 24 and March 2. The highest number of cases is in Peshawar (2591), followed by Charsadda (1913), Swat (1369), Nowshera (1086), Lower Dir (1012), and DI Khan (120). The last outbreak in the province was in July 2024, with over 25,000 cases reported in a week. At the time the spread of the disease had been favoured by severe heatwaves and humidity, which filled hospital emergency departments with patients also suffering from dysentery and diarrhea.
The current outbreak is having a severe impact on the local health system, with hospitals forced to move patients from emergency wards and unable to follow them adequately. Medical facilities are especially under pressure in Peshawar where over 3000 individuals have required hospital treatment. The province is also facing several other health emergencies, including outbreaks of respiratory, zoonotic, sexually transmitted, and vaccine-preventable diseases.