Gates Foundation And WHO Partner To Address Health Needs Of 465,000 Flood-Affected People In Pakistan

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has pledged US$ 1 million to support the World Health Organization (WHO) in strengthening health emergency preparedness and response in 33 high-risk, flood-affected districts across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh, Punjab, and Balochistan.

This funding will enable WHO to work with Pakistan's federal and provincial health authorities to maintain essential, life-saving health services in the aftermath of devastating monsoon floods. The support will focus on enhancing disease surveillance, outbreak response, availability of medical supplies, coordination across the health sector, and risk communication and community engagement (RCCE) to ensure affected communities receive timely and accurate health information.

Over the next six months, the initiative will prioritize the needs of pregnant women, children under five, the elderly, persons with disabilities, internally displaced persons (IDPs), and other vulnerable groups in host communities.

“We are particularly thankful to the Gates Foundation for this generous and timely support to WHO teams in the field, as they assist federal and provincial authorities in delivering health services and saving lives,” said Dr Dapeng Luo, WHO Representative in Pakistan, during a visit to flood-affected health facilities in Swabi District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).

“As the climate crisis intensifies and natural disasters become more frequent, rapid response and preparedness are key to protecting public health. WHO remains committed to supporting Pakistan in saving lives today and building stronger, more resilient health systems for tomorrow.”

Also Read: Two Soldiers Sacrifice Lives Amid Flood Relief; 802 Dead as Pakistan Struggles to Cope

WHO teams in Pakistan continue to assist authorities amid the recent climate-induced flash floods that have killed at least 450 people and injured 265 in KP alone since 15 August, affecting over 860,000 people, according to the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA). Flash floods have displaced thousands and damaged 57 health facilities (including 3 fully destroyed), 4,243 houses, and 60 schools in KP.

At the national level, between 26 June and 27 August, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) reported:

802 fatalities

1,088 injuries

Damage to 89 health facilities (7 fully destroyed)

7,465 houses, 238 bridges, and 658 km of roads damaged

Loss of 5,584 livestock

Relief efforts include 658 camps assisting over 29,000 people, 63 medical camps treating 5,106 patients, and 832 rescue operations that have saved over 122,000 people.

WHO is also coordinating health sector partners to assess needs, align response efforts, and disseminate key updates. Within 24 hours of the floods in KP, WHO dispatched emergency medical supplies to treat up to 15,000 patients. Since June, supplies provided by WHO have reached over 380,000 flood-affected and displaced people across Pakistan.

As part of its Monsoon Contingency Plan 2025, WHO has been supporting emergency preparedness for up to 1.3 million people in the 33 priority districts, ensuring rapid deployment of assistance when needed.

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