Diphtheria tightening its grip across Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa

The deadly, highly contagious infection impacts children and adults alike

PESHAWAR:

Despite the disease being a rare occurrence in developed nations due to decades of vaccinations, diphtheria still plagues most developed countries and is on the rise in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P).

Diphtheria is a highly contagious infection that causes difficulties in breathing, heart rhythm problems, and if not treated in time can result in death. However, given the disease’s severity and despite its recent rise, K-P’s Health Department has not enacted any measures to combat it.

According to data obtained by the provincial health department, around 46 cases of diphtheria have been reported across the province this year and the numbers are expected to climb even further. Dr Rizwan Ullah, a child specialist based in Peshawar, while talking to The Express Tribune, said that the disease was spreading due to the unavailability of anti-diphtheria serum. “The provincial health department tried to import vaccines from Russia but after the invasion of Ukraine started, the import deal fell through,” Dr Rizwan explained, “furthermore, since diphtheria cases have been falling around the globe for some time, medicines companies have stopped producing the serum.”

The child specialist informed that this was a serious infection caused by strains of bacteria called corynebacterium. He further added that a dearth of anti-serum could prove to be fatal as the lack of proper vaccination and treatment against the infection leads to death. “It affects children and adults alike, so a catastrophe might be on the horizon if steps are not taken to procure the anti-diphtheria serum,” Dr Rizwan cautioned. Presently, out of the 46 reported cases, 17 are from Peshawar; 9 from Karak; 9 from Laki Marwat, 4 from Mardan; and 1 each from Charsadda, Hanu, Buner, Swabi, Shangla, Mansehra, and Malakand. Director Expanded Programme on Immunization (EMI) K-P, Dr Muhammad Arif Khan, when asked about the shortage of vaccines to combat the deadly infection spreading in different parts of K-P, said that there was no shortgae at all.

“Anti-diphtheria vaccines are available in all hospitals and Basic Health Units (BHUs) across the province,” the director informed. Dr Muhamma further said that the department was in contact with pharmaceutical companies to purchase more anti-diphtheria serum as soon as possible. “We have also requested the federal EPI to send us anti-diphtheria serum and hopefully this request will be addressed soon. However, parents should vaccinate their children during the routine immunisation process to protect them from all sorts of diseases,” Dr Muhammad suggested while talking to The Express Tribune.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 28^th, 2022.