Flood-affected people: Gates Foundation, WHO commit USD1m fund

ISLAMABAD: The Gates Foundation and the World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday announced a joint initiative to address urgent health needs for 465,000 of the most flood-affected people across 33 high-risk districts in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh, Punjab, and Balochistan, with a funding commitment of USD1 million.

The donation aims to bolster Pakistan’s national and provincial health authorities by ensuring the continuity of life-saving services through strengthened disease surveillance, rapid outbreak response, improved availability of essential medical supplies, coordinated health sector efforts, and risk communication and community engagement (RCCE) to deliver critical health information.

Set to be implemented over the next six months, the initiative will prioritise vulnerable groups including pregnant women, children under five, older persons, people with disabilities, internally displaced persons (IDPs), and marginalised populations within host communities.

“We are particularly thankful to the Gates Foundation for this generous and timely support to WHO teams working alongside federal and provincial authorities to meet health needs, deliver medical supplies and save lives,” said Dr Dapeng Luo, WHO Representative in Pakistan, during a visit to flood-affected health facilities in Swabi District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

“As the climate crisis fuels increasingly extreme monsoons and natural disasters, rapid response and preparedness are vital to safeguarding public health. WHO stands with Pakistan to save lives today and build stronger, more resilient health systems for tomorrow.”

Copyright Business Recorder, 2025