Daily Times

The dark shadow of measles is hovering across Balochistan as the disease has started taking its toll on children. It has been reported that during the past week, measles has claimed the lives of at least eight children in Balochistan’s Killa Abdullah district. The number of children affected by the disease is increasing as the measles virus spreads through the air when a patient coughs or sneezes. Its symptoms include fever, dry cough, runny nose, sore throat, inflamed eyes (conjunctivitis) and tiny white spots with bluish-white centres on a red background found inside the mouth on the inner lining of the cheek. Opposition to vaccination is an obvious reason for the spread of the disease. A serious outbreak of measles in Balochistan and elsewhere in the country could well be the result of a drop-off in vaccinations. The grim situation is worsening in different cities of the province due to lack of healthcare facilities and delayed diagnosis. While the government officials and the health department are claiming that adequate arrangements have been put in place to tackle the menace, the reality looks bleak, with the number of measles cases increasing. There are clear indications that delayed diagnosis resulted in fatalities that could have been avoided.

In order to contain deaths due to this disease, the provincial government needs to take preventive measures. A countrywide awareness campaign needs to be launched on an immediate basis that could educate the masses about the symptoms of the disease and inform them about curative measures. As most cases are being reported from Balochistan, the provincial government needs to take all necessary measures to protect victims from this deadly disease. There is a need to put all health facilities on alert to tackle the situation. The government needs to arrange vaccines and other necessary medicines and diagnosis facilities at public health facilities for early detection and treatment of the disease. There is a need to take all necessary measures to save the people from the disease. There is also a need to improve the level of coordination among the concerned authorities. Quick measures are needed at the provincial and federal levels to prevent epidemic from spreading to other parts of the country.*