Peshawar, In response to a growing measles outbreak in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Health Minister Syed Qasim Ali Shah has called for immediate action to curb the spread of the disease. Emphasizing the urgency of the situation, Shah has directed the establishment of isolation wards, urged parents to vaccinate their children with the MR vaccine, and initiated steps to enhance the province’s response to the outbreak.

According to Directorate General Information and PRs – Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Shah’s directives include the rapid establishment of isolation wards in Medical Teaching Institutions (MTIs) and the reassignment of vaccinators under the direct supervision of the District Health Officer (DHO) to improve vaccination efforts. Furthermore, the Minister has ordered the formation of a Provincial Outbreak Committee to oversee the response to the measles crisis.

During an emergency briefing by Director EPI Dr. Arif, it was revealed that the province has seen 3889 suspected and 1445 confirmed cases of measles. The outbreak has been particularly severe in children between the ages of two to five years, with 13 of the 22 reported deaths in the past six months confirmed as measles-related. The districts most affected include DI Khan, Peshawar, Charsadda, Swabi, and Dir Lower.

The briefing also highlighted the ongoing efforts under the Birth Dose Initiative, where more than one lakh newborns have been vaccinated at centers operating 24 hours a day in hospitals’ labor rooms. An outbreak response is currently underway in 118 union councils across 24 districts, aiming to control the spread of measles and mitigate its impact on the affected communities.