10 more children die of measles in Sindh

Six deaths reported on Sunday, four on Monday

HYDERABAD: The measles virus reportedly claimed 10 more lives in two days in different districts of Sindh, adding to dozens of deaths since the apparent outbreak began last month. Six children died on Sunday and four others on Monday.

The district and sessions court in Shikarpur, where 10 children have died in Khanpur taluka including three in the last two days, has taken notice and assigned an inquiry to a civil judge on Monday.

In Khanpur's Garhi Ayub village, five-year-old Asif, son of Abdul Rasheed, three-year-old Fozia, daughter of Abdul Jabbar, and five-year-old Mujahid, son of Sikandar Ali, died in two days. Ten children have died in the taluka during the past three weeks due to the illness symptomatic of measles, local residents claim.

On the court's order, a health team led by Dr Ghulam Asghar, head of the rural health centre in Khanpur, visited Garhi Ayub village later on Monday. The medical team will submit its findings in the court today (Tuesday).

In Naushero Feroz district, a peasant Majeed Marechi lost two children – six-year-old Kajal and three-year-old Chandar - to measles. He told the local media in Bhirya City that his three other children are suffering from the same virus. He was not certain whether his children had been administered the preventive vaccination after birth. Infants have to be immunised against the virus twice, at the age of nine months and 15 months.

Manzoor Mal, a neighbour of Marechi, claimed that 15 children, including Marechi’s five, are exhibiting symptoms of measles in the area.



Six-year-old Riaz Lateef and two-year-old Maira Meerani reportedly died in Salehpat, Sukkur district, on Sunday. Mir Bux Mahar and Sadam Bhambro, local residents, told the media that around 30 other children suffered from same condition in their neighbourhood.

In Khairpur district's Thari Mirwah, a rural town, Raza Hayat Jogi sobbed over the death of his only child, four-year-old Ahmed. "I took my son to many private clinics in the town during his week-long illness but the doctors couldn't save his life," he grieved.

Three more deaths were reported from Dadu and Tando Muhammad Khan districts, where 13-year-old Mehroze, daughter of Mitha Khan Jiskani, died in Jhok Sharif, four-year-old Shabbir, son of Manthar Ali Lahbar, in Phulji Station and three-year-old Nafeesa Odhano in Jhoongal.