Measles: 59 cases reported in the past three months

WHO claims peak incidences of the disease occur in March, April.

ISLAMABAD:

Nine children have been admitted to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) Children’s Hospital after being clinically diagnosed with measles and other complications like pneumonia. This was stated by Pims Spokesperson Dr Waseem Khawaja on Thursday.

According to the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) Weekly Epidemiological Bulletin - Disease early warning system (DEWS) and response in Pakistan, 59 cases of measles have been reported in the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) so far this year.

According to the WHO, this figure climbs to a staggering 8,532 cases across the country, including 218 deaths.

Dr Javed Hayat, head of the infectious diseases section at Holy Family Hospital (HFH), informed The Express Tribune that seven cases of measles had been reported at the hospital this week.

He said over 160 cases of the disease had been reported at HFH so far this year with a majority of the victims from Rawalpindi.

He added that many children who had been vaccinated against the disease were still suffering from it, but said the situation was under control.

DEWS Senior Surveillance Officer Dr Musa Rahim confirmed that eight cases of measles had been reported in different areas of Islamabad last week including Bhara Kahu, Tarlai, Tarnol and Sabzi Mandi and Golra Sharif.

Rahim said peak incidences of measles usually occurred in March and April and therefore he wasn’t overly concerned with current number of reported cases.

He stressed on the need to focus on suburbs of the federal capital as these areas were most vulnerable to the disease.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 5^th, 2013.