Chronic nutritional deficit resulting in multiorgan disease presentations in remote Pakistan: case reviews from natural disaster settings

The aftermath of monsoon rains that fell in Pakistan from June to November 2022 were catastrophic as millions of people were affected, water systems were damaged, and agricultural production was affected. The floods aggravated the already existing nutrition crisis which largely increased children’s vulnerability. Disaster Medicine and Dentistry (DMD), a UK-registered consultancy organization, provided support to the affected households in Dera Ismail Khan through the provision of water pumps, food rations, and climate-resistant houses. It also established a mobile medical unit that provided medical services to affected households. All the children that came for consultation were far below the expected height or weight range for their age, thus showing signs of chronic malnutrition. They also presented with multiorgan diseases as a result of the chronic malnutrition, and DMD’s onsite and remote consultants managed them all. We took a wholistic approach to managing the nutrition crisis and the floods, which significantly improved the health outcomes of the affected individuals and households.