After facing the challenges posed by Covid-19 and dengue, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) has now grappled with a diphtheria outbreak that has claimed 16 lives this year.
Official sources told The Express Tribune a total of 328 confirmed cases have been recorded between January and October.
This alarming outbreak has occurred across 28 districts of the province, with Peshawar, Kohat, Karak, Khyber, and Charsadda being the worst affected areas.
The outbreak is particularly concerning because it is affecting people of various age groups, from infants as young as six months to individuals as old as 68 years.
The root of this issue lies in inadequate vaccination efforts, as children can be shielded from this deadly disease with just three doses of the vaccine. However, adults and the elderly have been vulnerable, leading to significant challenges for the already financially strained health department and hospitals.
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Hospitals are inundated with patients in need of anti-diphtheria serum, which is crucial for treating diphtheria.
Shockingly, even major healthcare facilities are lacking this essential serum, and it is not included in the list of medicines procured for hospitals that are not part of the immunization program.
The international donor organizations had supplied the serum on an emergency basis last year when similar cases were reported.
It’s important to note that this serum is no longer produced worldwide, except in India and Russia, and even there, it’s in limited production. The process of obtaining this serum from these countries is lengthy and time-consuming.
Medical experts suggest that this situation has arisen due to past failures in immunizing children. Many adults and older individuals who were not immunized during their childhood are now susceptible to the disease.
While the immunization rate for children under two is at 90 percent across the province, the government has not succeeded in significantly improving immunization rates, contributing to health complications in children and unvaccinated adults.
The spokesperson for the extended program on immunization (EPI) has revealed that an electronic immunization registration system has been launched to track and manage vaccinations for all children. Despite conducting six immunization drives after the outbreak, some parents have refused vaccination for their children.
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It’s important to note that this outbreak is not limited to K-P, as cases have also been reported in Punjab and Sindh. International organizations are conducting research to identify the underlying causes of the outbreak nationwide.
It’s worth mentioning that during the rule of the PTI in K-P, thousands of people lost their lives to dengue due to a lack of timely preventive measures.
The government, however, has disputed these claims, relying solely on the test reports from public sector hospitals.
In contrast, under the caretaker government this year, dengue cases significantly decreased, despite financial constraints, owing to proactive preventive measures.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 9th, 2023.
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