KARACHI: Data from four major hospitals in Sindh suggests that at least 103 people died from mosquito-borne diseases in 2025, a figure far exceeding the 33 deaths officially reported by the provincial health department.
The hospitals—Indus Hospital, Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH), Sindh Infectious Diseases Hospital & Research Centre (SIDH&RC), and Liaquat University Hospital (LUH) in Hyderabad—documented deaths from both dengue and malaria. Of the 103 fatalities, 83 occurred in Karachi, affecting adults and children alike.
Indus Hospital alone reported 8,883 dengue cases, resulting in 40 deaths, while malaria claimed 23 lives among 2,719 patients. SIDH&RC reported 941 cases of mosquito-borne diseases, including 651 dengue and 290 malaria patients, with 14 deaths from dengue. LUH recorded 25 dengue-related deaths, primarily between September and November.
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Experts caution that the true death toll could be even higher, as many patients treated at small clinics or at home were not included in official statistics.
Dr Samreen Sarfaraz, senior infectious diseases expert at Indus Hospital, noted that severe cases contributed to the high mortality. “Dengue patients who died often presented with shock, organ dysfunction, or bleeding manifestations, while malaria fatalities were associated with high parasitic loads leading to severe anemia, renal failure, or respiratory distress,” she explained.
As many as 103 people died from mosquitoborne diseases across Sindh during 2025, with 23 of them losing their lives at a Karachi hospital due to malaria, according to data gathered from three hospitals in Karachi and one in Hyderabad.https://t.co/v9yOCRdKVK
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Health authorities urge prompt diagnosis, early treatment, and mosquito control measures, including using bed nets, repellents, and removing stagnant water, to prevent further loss of life.
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