REPORT BY A.B ARISAR
UMARKOT: The ongoing climate challenges in Umerkot have highlighted the urgent need for climate mitigation and adaptation strategies to safeguard community health and foster equitable resilience. The rising temperatures, extreme weather events, and limited access to healthcare services, especially in remote areas, have exacerbated health risks, leading to higher mortality rates. Experts emphasize the importance of both government and non-government institutions working in partnership to address these challenges.
Dr. Shankar Mathrani, Surveillance Officer at WHO Umerkot, highlighted that many residents of remote areas lack access to quality healthcare, with mortality rates remaining high due to this gap. Addressing these challenges requires coordinated efforts from state and non-state actors to extend healthcare services to the underserved.
In response, AWARE, in collaboration with the Health Department of Sindh, has launched initiatives like free medical camps to bridge this gap. These camps, organized in villages like Ghamoori and Miyoon Bandi, provided free consultations, treatments, and health checks to over 550 individuals, with common ailments including pneumonia, scabies, and hypertension being prevalent.
AWARE’s Project Manager, Dr. Rahib Ali, emphasized the importance of bringing healthcare professionals directly to the communities, making essential services accessible without cost.
Additionally, women in these areas face unique challenges, particularly due to local norms that restrict their mobility, limiting their access to healthcare.
Activist Nustrat Qambarni pointed out how the free medical camps offered a valuable opportunity for local women to receive healthcare services without the societal constraints they typically face.
The camps were funded by the Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund (PPAF) as part of the Restoration of Social Service and Climate Resilience (RSSCR) project. The initiative underlines AWARE’s ongoing commitment to ensuring accessible healthcare for marginalized communities, contributing to the long-term health and resilience of Umerkot’s underserved populations.