Diphtheria outbreak claims lives of 26 children in K-P

Unvaccinated children in KP are the hardest hit by diphtheria, with 380 cases reported.

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A deadly outbreak of diphtheria in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) province has claimed the lives of 26 children, with provincial health officials warning of its alarming spread.

Health department data reveals that 380 children have been affected by the disease this year, with Peshawar recording the highest number of fatalities at 12, Express News reported.

Other districts, including Nowshera, Charsadda, and Mohmand, reported additional deaths, with three in each of the former two and two in the latter.

“Most of the children who succumbed to diphtheria were over five years old,” officials stated, adding that 228 union councils across 27 districts in K-P are currently affected.

The lack of complete vaccination among children has been identified as a significant factor. “The affected children did not complete their routine immunisation courses, which has left them vulnerable,” health authorities confirmed.

Diphtheria, a bacterial infection that primarily targets the throat and airways, can become fatal if left untreated. The outbreak has raised concerns about gaps in K-P’s immunisation programmes, especially in remote and underserved areas.

As many as 28 children in Karachi died from diphtheria this year due to the lack of Diphtheria Anti-Toxin (DAT), despite the disease being preventable through vaccination, a Sindh health department official revealed last month.

The number of diphtheria cases and child deaths has surged in the city, with all cases referred to the Sindh Infectious Diseases Hospital (SIDH). Last year, the hospital received 140 diphtheria cases, 52 of which were fatal.

"This year, 166 diphtheria cases have been reported in Sindh, resulting in 28 deaths," the official said.

Infectious disease experts highlighted that DAT, which costs approximately Rs250,000 per patient, is not available anywhere in Sindh, including Karachi. “The only cure for diphtheria is full vaccination and treatment with antitoxin,” the experts noted.

Pakistani children are vaccinated against diphtheria as part of a five-in-one immunisation that also protects against tetanus, whooping cough, hepatitis B, and Haemophilus influenzae type b.

Dr Muhammad Arif Khan, Director of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI), stressed that vaccination is the key to preventing outbreaks.

“Diphtheria is a life-threatening disease, and timely vaccination is the sole way to prevent fatal outcomes,” he said.

The infection primarily affects the throat and upper respiratory tract, forming a greyish-white membrane that can block breathing and swallowing.