Médecins Sans Frontières has reported a surge in measles cases in Afghanistan, with alarming mortality rates, particularly among children. MSF underscores the need for increased vaccination efforts to prevent these preventable deaths and has expanded healthcare services to manage the outbreak effectively. The data shows a significant rise in cases compared to the previous year, stressing the urgency of the health crisis.
Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has reported a significant increase in measles cases in Afghanistan since January 2025, highlighting a pressing health concern. Although measles is endemic in the country, the early surge of cases is alarming, with data indicating that at least one child has died from measles daily so far this year. This alarming trend has nearly tripled the mortality rate compared to the same time frame in the previous year.
The MSF country representative has emphasized that these fatalities are preventable, as measles can be particularly lethal for children suffering from underlying health issues such as malnutrition and congenital heart defects. Vaccination remains a critical measure against this disease, yet immunization rates in Afghanistan are significantly low. Targeted vaccination efforts in the affected districts could alleviate the growing number of cases, thereby relieving the strain on healthcare facilities.
In the first two months of 2025, MSF encountered 4,799 children with suspected measles at three hospitals, with 25 percent of the cases being complicated and requiring hospitalization. Herat Regional Hospital has responded to the crisis by expanding its measles isolation ward from 11 to 60 beds due to a sharp increase in complicated cases, which grew by 180 percent from the previous year. At Boost Provincial Hospital, suspicious cases reached 1,866 in the same period, representing a 369 percent increase.
MSF is also collaborating with the Ministry of Public Health in Mazar-i-Sharif, where 1,499 suspected measles patients have been treated, marking a 35.6 percent increase from 2024. Le Paih noted the urgency of the situation, stating, “We are dedicating additional resources, but we are already running out of space for patients suffering not just from measles, but also from seasonal illnesses.”
The organization operates seven medical projects across various provinces in Afghanistan, providing secondary healthcare services. In 2024, MSF managed over 404,500 emergency consultations, 245,557 outpatient visits, and treated more than 13,030 measles patients, along with assisting numerous nutritional interventions for malnourished children.
MSF continues to advocate for enhanced immunization and healthcare responses to address the ongoing measles crisis effectively and prevent further preventable deaths among vulnerable populations in Afghanistan.
The rising cases of measles in Afghanistan have raised serious public health alarms, with data indicating a dramatic increase in both cases and fatalities compared to previous years. MSF highlights the preventability of these deaths through vaccination and emphasizes the necessity for urgent community-level immunization efforts. The organization remains committed to addressing this crisis and improving healthcare access across the nation to mitigate the impact on vulnerable children.
Original Source: pajhwok.com
