Pakistan: measles outbreak in Sindh

The Sindh Health Department has reported over 1100 measles cases during the first two months of 2025. Children are the main victims of the outbreak, with at least 17 killed by the disease. Ten died in the Khairpur district, which appears as the worst affected area in the province. Over 500 children have also been reported infected in Karachi. The key reasons for children’s vulnerability are lack of vaccination and ignorance about the disease. According to health officials contacted by ARY News, four to six new measles patients are reported daily at government hospitals. Among them there are many children under five and some children who have developed pneumonia as a complication of measles.
Measles symptoms usually develop 10-12 days after exposure to an infected person. They include fever, runny nose, and cough, followed by white spots inside the mouth and a red, flat rash that starts on the face and then covers the rest of the body. Common complications of the disease are diarrhea, middle ear infection, and pneumonia. In December 2024, Pakistan health authorities reported more than 13,000 suspected and over 6000 confirmed measles cases during the year, with the deaths of 132 children.