More than 100 children have died of diphtheria in Karachi, Pakistan. And the main reason for this is the lack of diphtheria anti-toxin (DAT). Diphtheria is a serious and infectious disease, which can be prevented with the help of vaccination. However, the lack of necessary antitoxin drugs against this disease in Karachi and other parts of Sindh has made this situation more dangerous.
Last year, 140 diphtheria cases were registered in Sindh Infectious Diseases Hospital, out of which 52 children could not be saved. This year more than 100 children have died of diphtheria. Infectious disease experts say that antitoxin medicine is not available in the whole of Sindh. Antitoxin medicine worth 0.25 million Pakistani rupees (about ₹1.2 lakh) is needed to treat a child.
Which parts of the body does diphtheria affect?
According to the World health Organization (WHO), diphtheria affects the throat and respiratory tract. Its symptoms include sore throat, fever, swelling of the neck glands and weakness. If not treated on time, diphtheria can be fatal in about 30 percent of cases. This especially causes great harm to young children.
Lack of vaccination and its effects
Diphtheria can be prevented through vaccine, but it requires timely vaccination and booster doses. khyber pakhtunkhwa Director Expanded Immunization Program (EPI), Mohammad Arif Khan said that the only way to prevent the outbreak of diphtheria is timely vaccination. However, the level of vaccination coverage in pakistan is low and the COVID-19 pandemic has made this situation worse. This has disrupted routine vaccination services.
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