Evolution of waterborne diseases: A case study of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

作者：Muhammad Atif, Gohar Ayub, Fazal Shakoor, Muhammad Farooq, Muhammad Iqbal, Qamruz Zaman, Muhammad Ilyas · 发表于：SAGE Open Medicine · 年份：2024 · DOI：10.1177/20503121241263032 · 被引用次数：6 · 研究领域：Water Quality and Pollution Assessment、Vibrio bacteria research studies、Zoonotic diseases and public health

Objectives: In Pakistan, the degradation of drinking water quality is exacerbated by the increasing population size and rapid industrialization. Contaminated water serves as the predominant source of numerous diseases, including diarrhea, gastroenteritis, and typhoid. This article explores the evolution of waterborne diseases across 21 districts of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistan by monitoring changes in the clustering solutions. Methods: The data employed in this study were sourced from 21 districts of KP by the Director-General Health Services. Cluster analysis was utilized to uncover patterns in waterborne disease incidence, while principal component analysis was employed to reveal underlying patterns and reduce dimensionality. Additionally, the MONItoring Clusters (MONIC) framework was applied for change detection, facilitating the identification of significant shifts in disease patterns over time and aiding in the understanding of temporal dynamics. Results: Our analysis indicates that two clusters survived consistently over time, while other clusters exhibited inconsistency. Profiling of the surviving clusters (C 12 → C 24 → C 32 → C 43 ) suggests a gradual increase in cases of bloody diarrhea in the Swat Valley, Hangu, Karak, and Lakki Marwat regions. Similarly, profiling of the surviving clusters (⊙→ C 22 → C 34 → C 44 ) suggests an increase in the acute watery diarrhea (non-cholera) and typhoid fever in the regions of Peshawar, Nowshera, and Swabi. Conclu...