Measles claims 102 lives across country this year: sources

• Sindh records 53 measles-related deaths.
• KP reports 27 fatalities this year.
• Malnourished children face higher risks.

The number of deaths caused by measles across Pakistan has reached 102 this year, with Sindh reporting the highest number of fatalities, according to sources in the Ministry of Health.

The sources said Sindh recorded 53 measles-related deaths, followed by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with 27, Punjab with 15, and Balochistan with seven deaths.

Punjab reported 11,192 suspected measles cases during the year, of which 2,126 were confirmed positive. In Sindh, 2,280 cases tested positive out of 7,105 suspected cases.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa recorded 3,199 positive cases from 8,912 suspected infections, while Balochistan reported 349 positive cases out of 858 suspected cases.

The ministry data showed that Azad Kashmir reported 216 positive cases from 616 suspected cases, Gilgit-Baltistan recorded 64 positive cases out of 230 suspected cases, and Islamabad reported 85 confirmed cases from 153 suspected cases.

Measles is a highly contagious infection of the respiratory system caused by a virus. It is considered one of the leading causes of death in young children. It spreads like wildfire in communities where children are unvaccinated.

It is characterised by severe coughing, sneezing, runny nose, high fever, watery red eyes, and full-body rash. The measles virus reduces immunity, and children who have had measles – especially those who are undernourished — may die of pneumonia, diarrhoea, and encephalitis.

Medical experts said measles symptoms include high fever, red rashes on the body, cough, cold, and inflammation of the eyes. They added that children under five years of age and those suffering from malnutrition are more vulnerable to the disease.