Measles cases among children increases across country

KABUL (ToloNews): The Ministry of Public Health said that it has started a vaccination campaign to prevent the measles from spreading further in 85 districts across the nation and that it will also start a campaign to combat the disease during the cold season.
“We hospitalize between 8 and 12 children with measles every day, and the number of patients in our OPD department was higher. We do not hospitalize all the patients,” said Mohammad Fahim Mohammadi, a doctor.
“A few days ago, we began a national vaccination campaign to stop the measles, vaccinating children in nearly 85 districts. The Ministry of Health has a plan to later include areas where the weather is cold or those left behind from the campaign,” said Sharafat Zaman Amarkhail, the spokesperson of the Ministry of Public Health.
“The immunization effort needs to be expanded. It is a very dangerous disease and makes the child very weak,” said Soraya, the mother of one of the children with measles at the Indira Gandhi Children’s Hospital. According to the World Health Organization, more than 3,000 people in Afghanistan had positive test results during January and August of this year. Doctors said the body’s weak immune system, lack of access to adequate food, and lack of vaccination are the main contributors to the rise in cases of this disease.