ISLAMABAD: In Pakistan, measles cases surged by 18 percent, and related deaths increased by 43 percent only in 2022 compared to the previous year, bringing the total number of cases to 9 million and fatalities to 136,000, primarily affecting children.
Pakistan fell among the ten low and middle-income nations grappling with a concerning situation, where around 22 million children missed their initial measles vaccine dose, as per a report by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Measles emerged as an escalating threat, with 37 countries experiencing substantial outbreaks in 2022, up from 22 countries in 2021. The outbreaks were particularly pronounced in the WHO Region for Africa (28 countries), the Eastern Mediterranean (6 countries), South-East Asia (2 countries), and one in the European Region.
Despite measles being preventable through two vaccine doses, 33 million children missed their vaccinations in 2022, around 22 million for the first dose and 11 million for the second.
Global vaccine coverage rates for the first and second doses stood at 83 percent and 74 percent, respectively, falling significantly short of the recommended 95 percent coverage with two doses necessary for community protection against outbreaks.
The report emphasized that low-income countries, where the risk of measles-related death is highest, continue to grapple with the lowest vaccination rates, hovering at a mere 66 percent. Notably, half of the children missing their initial measles vaccine dose hail from 10 countries, including Angola, Madagascar, Nigeria, Pakistan, Brazil, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, India, Philippines, and the Indonesia.
