Pathfinder
Editor, Senior Moderator
Translation Google
Afghanistan: Alarming increase in measles cases in some MSF-supported facilities
A rise in measles cases highlights the urgency of vaccination.
Published on: Mar 13, 2025 Updated on: Mar 14, 2025
Since January, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) teams in Afghanistan have reported an increase in the number of people with measles in three MSF-supported hospitals in Balkh, Herat, and Helmand. Although the disease is endemic in Afghanistan, such a high number of cases so early in the year is alarming.
According to data collected by MSF staff at Mazar-i-Sharif Regional Hospital, Herat Regional Hospital, and Boost Provincial Hospital in Helmand province, at least one child has died of measles every day in Afghanistan since the beginning of 2025. This represents nearly three times the number of deaths compared to the same period last year.
“These deaths could have been prevented,” said Mickaël Le Paih, MSF project director. “Measles can be fatal, especially in children with underlying health conditions such as malnutrition or congenital heart defects. It can also be prevented by a vaccine, but vaccination coverage remains low in Afghanistan.”
Rapid, targeted community vaccination in districts hardest hit by ongoing outbreaks would reduce the number of measles cases. It would also free up hospital beds for children with less preventable diseases.
In the three hospitals in Afghanistan where our teams support measles detection and treatment, we saw 4,799 children suspected of having the disease in the first eight weeks of 2025. This includes both complicated measles cases (25%) that require hospitalization and less severe cases (75%) that require outpatient treatment.
...
https://www.medecinssansfrontieres....s-soutenues-par-msf-a-balkh-herat-et-helmand/
Afghanistan: Alarming increase in measles cases in some MSF-supported facilities
A rise in measles cases highlights the urgency of vaccination.
Published on: Mar 13, 2025 Updated on: Mar 14, 2025
Since January, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) teams in Afghanistan have reported an increase in the number of people with measles in three MSF-supported hospitals in Balkh, Herat, and Helmand. Although the disease is endemic in Afghanistan, such a high number of cases so early in the year is alarming.
According to data collected by MSF staff at Mazar-i-Sharif Regional Hospital, Herat Regional Hospital, and Boost Provincial Hospital in Helmand province, at least one child has died of measles every day in Afghanistan since the beginning of 2025. This represents nearly three times the number of deaths compared to the same period last year.
“These deaths could have been prevented,” said Mickaël Le Paih, MSF project director. “Measles can be fatal, especially in children with underlying health conditions such as malnutrition or congenital heart defects. It can also be prevented by a vaccine, but vaccination coverage remains low in Afghanistan.”
Rapid, targeted community vaccination in districts hardest hit by ongoing outbreaks would reduce the number of measles cases. It would also free up hospital beds for children with less preventable diseases.
In the three hospitals in Afghanistan where our teams support measles detection and treatment, we saw 4,799 children suspected of having the disease in the first eight weeks of 2025. This includes both complicated measles cases (25%) that require hospitalization and less severe cases (75%) that require outpatient treatment.
...
https://www.medecinssansfrontieres....s-soutenues-par-msf-a-balkh-herat-et-helmand/