Karachi: More than 100 children have died of diphtheria in Karachi, Pakistan, this year due to the unavailability of diphtheria anti-toxin (DAT), even though the disease can be prevented through vaccination.
Health officials in Sindh declare that of the 140 cases that Sindh Infectious Diseases Hospital received last year, 52 of them could not survive. Antitoxin drugs used against this disease are not available in the entire Sindh, including Karachi, infectious diseases experts said. According to media reports, antitoxin worth 0.25 million Pakistani rupees (PKR) was used to treat one child.
The World Health Organization (WHO) states that diphtheria is a skin and upper respiratory tract bacterial disease that is highly contagious. It creates a toxin that harms nerves and the heart.
Although diphtheria is a vaccine-preventable disease, immunity requires multiple doses, including booster shots. Those who are under-immunized or have not received enough vaccinations are at risk of this disease.
Muhammad Arif Khan, the director of the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, stated last year that diphtheria was a disease that could be fatal and that the only way to stop it from spreading throughout the community was to vaccinate people on time. “It primarily affects the throat and upper respiratory tract but can also lead to systemic complications. Diphtheria is known for the formation of a grayish-white membrane in the throat, which can cause difficulty in breathing and swallowing.” Khan told the media.
According to the WHO, the illness begins to show signs and symptoms two to five days after exposure to the bacteria. Fever, swollen neck glands, weakness, and sore throat are common symptoms of the infection.
According to the WHO, diphtheria can be fatal in about 30 percent of cases if vaccination and proper treatment are not taken. Young children have a higher risk of dying. In 2023, an estimated 84 percent of children worldwide received the recommended 3 doses, while the remaining 16 percent were either not given or incompletely dosed during infancy. Variation in vaccination coverage has been seen in different countries.
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