Measles outbreak claimed 27 lives so far this year

KARACHI: As many as 27 children have died in Sindh in the first 10 weeks of the ongoing year as the province’s health authorities scramble to deal with a measles outbreak and a setback after four children died due to health officials’ negligence.

Some 1,500 suspected measles cases have been reported in Sindh so far this year, including 200 reported from six districts of Karachi. Of these, 27 children have died from complications of the viral, infectious disease in the province, Dr Agha Ashfaq, the program manager of Sindh Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI), told The News on Saturday.

“A few children may also have died in Karachi due to the viral infection but their details are not available at the moment,” he said.

According to him, 152 cases had been confirmed from 23 districts of Sindh,

while around 20 had been confirmed from six districts of Karachi.

He added that the deaths caused by measles are usually because of complications of the illness, which include a compromised immune system in weak children.