Pakistan still faces a crisis situation more than six months after its catastrophic floods. Waters have not receded in parts of the south and cases of water-borne diseases are surging, making restoration of medical infrastructure an urgent need.

Heavy rain and flooding beginning in June last year left more than 1,700 people dead, mainly in the hardest-hit province of Sindh.

Local authorities say infectious diseases such as malaria and acute diarrhea are still rampant, with tens of thousands of new cases reported every week.

About 160 medical institutions in the province were flooded last year, and damaged roads hamper access to hospitals.

Pakistan and the United Nations hosted a conference in Geneva in January to discuss the rebuilding efforts. International donors, including France, the United States, China and Japan, pledged more than 9 billion dollars to help Pakistan recover.