144 children lost to diphtheria, measles since January in Karachi

Karachi is grappling with a tragic toll of vaccine-preventable diseases, with at least 144 children succumbing to measles and diphtheria in the first seven months of the year. Data from four tertiary care hospitals reveals a grim reality: 1,915 measles cases resulted in 125 deaths, while 81 diphtheria cases led to 19 fatalities.

Experts point to a critical lapse in parental responsibility as a primary driver of these preventable deaths. Dr. Khalid Shafi of the Pakistan Paediatric Association explained that while initial vaccine coverage at birth is high, it plummets as children grow, leaving many vulnerable. "Unfortunately, parents get negligent, and the child either gets no or partial protection against several diseases including measles, typhoid and polio," he stated, estimating that 20 to 25 percent of children miss timely vaccinations.

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Unfortunately, parents get negligent and the child either gets no or partial protection against several diseases including measles, typhoid and polio.

The consequences are dire, particularly when measles complications like encephalitis or pneumonia set in. Doctors at the National Institute of Child Health (NICH) report receiving severely ill children who have already been mismanaged elsewhere. "At that stage, measles has either turned into encephalitis... or pneumonia," a doctor at NICH told Dawn, highlighting the significant risk of death and long-term disability.

Despite the alarming figures, an Expanded Programme for Immunisation (EPI) official claimed a decline in cases this year. However, the data from hospitals like Sindh Infectious Diseases Hospital and Research Centre (SIDH&RC), Indus Hospital (IH), NICH, and Sindh Institute of Child Health and Neonatology (SICHN) paints a starkly different picture, underscoring the urgent need for improved vaccination adherence.

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We get complicated cases after the patient has already been mismanaged at multiple health facilities. At that stage, measles has either turned into encephalitis [a dangerous swelling and inflammation of the brain] or pneumonia [the most common measles’ complication]. The former carries a significant risk of death and long-term disability.