Pakistan’s looming health crisis

More than two weeks of floods in Pakistan have left well over 1,000 people dead and more than 20 million displaced. And the country is set for more troubled times ahead.

The UN has warned that up to 3.5 million children are at risk of contracting water-borne diseases. As many as 300,000 people could contract Cholera – a disease that can spread quickly in areas where the water is contaminated. The first case has been reported and a failure to contain the disease could spell further disaster for Pakistan.

So just what will it take to avert this and how are relief agencies being hindered by the growing health crisis?

Inside Story, with presenter Hazem Sika, discusses with guests: Guido Sabatinelli, the World Health Organisation’s representative in Pakistan; Talat Hussain, the executive editor of AJJ television; and Kristalina Georgieva, the European Union commissioner for international development.

This episode of Inside Story aired on Monday, August 16, 2010.