Amid Outbreak: In Torghar, boy’s death linked to measles

Owing to lack of health infrastructure or mobile facilities, locals rely on indigenous methods of treatment.

MANSEHRA:

A young boy’s death in a remote village of Torghar district is suspected to have been a result of a measles outbreak in the district, where over three dozen children have fallen victim to the disease. According to locals and family sources, 12-year-old Jamal Khan, who died on Friday, had symptoms indicative of measles.

A local of Tali Syedan village, Saeed Khan, said the outbreak has affected several villages such as Dherian, Krooni and Beero. He said that owing to the lack of health infrastructure or mobile facilities, locals rely on indigenous methods of treatment that remain ineffective. He said that since the villages were part of a politically administered tribal area till last year, no vaccination campaigns against measles or any other disease were conducted there.

Executive District Officer Health Dr Muhammad Idris denied reports that the boy had died of measles. However, he said that the reports will be clear once his vaccination teams return from the villages.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 3^rd, 2012.