Outbreak alert: Measles epidemic spreads, claims 8 more lives
Sindh CM convenes special meeting, promises prompt action.
Sindh CM convenes special meeting, promises prompt action. PHOTO: NAEEM AHMED GHOURI
ISLAMABAD/HYDERABAD/KARACHI:
With health authorities aloof, the recent outbreak of measles in the country, particularly Sindh, left more cities and villages vulnerable after claiming at least eight more lives on Wednesday alone.
As the World Health Organisation (WHO) confirmed the alarming rate of spread of the epidemic, Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah convened a special meeting of his top aides and the health department on Wednesday and pledged “prompt action against negligent and careless officials”.
In focus: Sindh
The epidemic has now spread across south and central Sindh after claiming more than 215 lives in upper Sindh alone — districts of Mirpurkhas Hyderabad division are the latest region to be hit by the epidemic.
At least 18 children aged between one-and-a-half-months to eight years have reportedly died of measles and several hundred have fallen ill in the last few days in the districts of Mirpurkhas and Hyderabad division.
However, not all the deaths have been confirmed by health authorities.
Meanwhile, Mirpurkhas Divisional Commissioner Ghulam Hussain Memon has called for declaring an emergency in all the four districts in the division.
On Wednesday two children, both around four years old, died in Benazirabad after suffering from measles for more than a week. Shamim Bhatti died in village Hussain Baksh Bhatti and Gudi Jan lost her life in village Gaandhia in Sakran Taluka.
Four more lost their lives in Tando Muhammad Khan district: three-year-old Rizwana, three-month-old Ambreen, one-and-a-half-month old Naila and four-year-old Sikandar Soomro died in the village of Bulri Shah Karim taluka.
Eight-year-old Ayaz Shahani died in Jamshoro’s Sehwan taluka where at least 20 cases have been reported so far. More than 90 cases have been reported in Badin, Matiari and Thatta districts. Meanwhile, health teams vaccinated children in five villages in KT Bunder taluka of Thatta where 40 children have now fallen ill with the disease.
Health Department Additional Director Dr Wali Muhammad Laghari, said that 195 deaths have been officially confirmed in the eight districts of upper Sindh while 202,726 children have been vaccinated up till now.
In Tharparkar, according to DHO Dr Nale Changio Rahimoon, 142 children have been diagnosed with measles while 2,400 have been vaccinated. Likewise, in Umerkot district 57 children have been tested positive with measles, according to DHO Muhammad Umar Saandh.
Fresh outbreak in Bhara Kahu
A fresh outbreak of measles has been reported in Bhara Kahu, Islamabad following the detection of five more cases in the area on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, two-year-old Uzma, a resident of Chirah, lost her life at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) after being infected with measles.
According to the virology laboratory at the National Institute of Health (NIH), five more cases of measles have been reported from Seri Chowk, Bhara Kahu, which falls under the Islamabad Capital territory (ICT), taking the toll of confirmed cases from the area to six and nine in total from the capital.
CM House meeting
In the aftermath of the measles outbreak, Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah has directed officers of the health department to pay “full attention to combat the measles outbreak in the province through vaccination and proper treatment of affected children be completed within 10-days ensuring that no child is left unattended”.
The chief minister rolled out the directives while chairing a meeting regarding effective measures to be taken to prevent measles, held at the Chief Minister House on Wednesday.
Referring to the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) report on the recent outbreak, the meeting was informed that there were a total of 7,274 cases of measles reported in 2012 and the death toll had reached 210.
Spared by missiles hit by measles
A measles epidemic has again hit the North Waziristan Agency.
According to reports reaching here, dozens of children suffering from the disease were left without medication due to a curfew. Lack of access to health facilities due to militant attacks and curfew has compounded the sufferings of children suffering from measles in North Waziristan.
(WITH ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY OUR CORRESPONDENT IN MIRAMSHAH)
Published in The Express Tribune, January 3rd, 2013.
With health authorities aloof, the recent outbreak of measles in the country, particularly Sindh, left more cities and villages vulnerable after claiming at least eight more lives on Wednesday alone.
As the World Health Organisation (WHO) confirmed the alarming rate of spread of the epidemic, Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah convened a special meeting of his top aides and the health department on Wednesday and pledged “prompt action against negligent and careless officials”.
In focus: Sindh
The epidemic has now spread across south and central Sindh after claiming more than 215 lives in upper Sindh alone — districts of Mirpurkhas Hyderabad division are the latest region to be hit by the epidemic.
At least 18 children aged between one-and-a-half-months to eight years have reportedly died of measles and several hundred have fallen ill in the last few days in the districts of Mirpurkhas and Hyderabad division.
However, not all the deaths have been confirmed by health authorities.
Meanwhile, Mirpurkhas Divisional Commissioner Ghulam Hussain Memon has called for declaring an emergency in all the four districts in the division.
On Wednesday two children, both around four years old, died in Benazirabad after suffering from measles for more than a week. Shamim Bhatti died in village Hussain Baksh Bhatti and Gudi Jan lost her life in village Gaandhia in Sakran Taluka.
Four more lost their lives in Tando Muhammad Khan district: three-year-old Rizwana, three-month-old Ambreen, one-and-a-half-month old Naila and four-year-old Sikandar Soomro died in the village of Bulri Shah Karim taluka.
Eight-year-old Ayaz Shahani died in Jamshoro’s Sehwan taluka where at least 20 cases have been reported so far. More than 90 cases have been reported in Badin, Matiari and Thatta districts. Meanwhile, health teams vaccinated children in five villages in KT Bunder taluka of Thatta where 40 children have now fallen ill with the disease.
Health Department Additional Director Dr Wali Muhammad Laghari, said that 195 deaths have been officially confirmed in the eight districts of upper Sindh while 202,726 children have been vaccinated up till now.
In Tharparkar, according to DHO Dr Nale Changio Rahimoon, 142 children have been diagnosed with measles while 2,400 have been vaccinated. Likewise, in Umerkot district 57 children have been tested positive with measles, according to DHO Muhammad Umar Saandh.
Fresh outbreak in Bhara Kahu
A fresh outbreak of measles has been reported in Bhara Kahu, Islamabad following the detection of five more cases in the area on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, two-year-old Uzma, a resident of Chirah, lost her life at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) after being infected with measles.
According to the virology laboratory at the National Institute of Health (NIH), five more cases of measles have been reported from Seri Chowk, Bhara Kahu, which falls under the Islamabad Capital territory (ICT), taking the toll of confirmed cases from the area to six and nine in total from the capital.
CM House meeting
In the aftermath of the measles outbreak, Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah has directed officers of the health department to pay “full attention to combat the measles outbreak in the province through vaccination and proper treatment of affected children be completed within 10-days ensuring that no child is left unattended”.
The chief minister rolled out the directives while chairing a meeting regarding effective measures to be taken to prevent measles, held at the Chief Minister House on Wednesday.
Referring to the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) report on the recent outbreak, the meeting was informed that there were a total of 7,274 cases of measles reported in 2012 and the death toll had reached 210.
Spared by missiles hit by measles
A measles epidemic has again hit the North Waziristan Agency.
According to reports reaching here, dozens of children suffering from the disease were left without medication due to a curfew. Lack of access to health facilities due to militant attacks and curfew has compounded the sufferings of children suffering from measles in North Waziristan.
(WITH ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY OUR CORRESPONDENT IN MIRAMSHAH)
Published in The Express Tribune, January 3rd, 2013.