Afghan children besieged by measles and malnutrition

Afghanistan's Health agencies have called on aid agencies to help them control measles and prevent further deaths.

Measles cases have increased in all provinces since the end of July 2021, with the highest weekly statistics observed in the first month of 2022. The death toll has risen from %18  to %40.

"Measles is a death sentence for children who are malnourished," said Margaret Harris, a spokeswoman for the World Health Organization.

Since the beginning of the year, more than 24,000 cases of measles have been diagnosed in Afghanistan, of which 2,397 have been confirmed by testing.

During this period, 87 children lost their lives. If immediate action is not taken, we will see more deaths.

The United Nations has repeatedly warned of a severe humanitarian crisis threatening Afghanistan. More than half of Afghanistan's population suffers from severe food shortages.

A World Health Organization spokesman said that by the end of the year, more than three million children under the age of five in Afghanistan are at risk of malnutrition and more than a million may die.

Measles is a highly contagious and vaccine-preventable disease, caused by a virus that is transmitted through the air and direct contact with infected people. 

Unvaccinated young children are at the highest risk for measles and its complications (such as pneumonia and encephalitis), including death. Outbreaks of measles can lead to epidemics with high mortality, especially among young children who are malnourished.

 

_{Source and Credit: Afghan News, Tolonews,WHO, UNICEF}