Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Health Advisor, Ihtesham Ali on Friday said that adequate supplies of anti-diphtheria serum were available across the province and urged parents to take their children to the nearest healthcare centers for vaccination. Responding to media reports on the worsening diphtheria outbreak in the province, he emphasized the critical need for vaccination to control the situation. In a statement, Ihtesham shared that a comprehensive report on the outbreak had been presented to raise awareness among the public and media about the severity of the disease. He stressed that the situation could be brought under control unless parents ensure their children were vaccinated against diphtheria and 11 other preventable diseases.

The health advisor also disclosed that 26 deaths had been reported across the province due to diphtheria this year, adding that the disease's rapid transmission from one child to another could aggravate the situation. He urged parents to immediately vaccinate their children and maintain social distancing as key measures to curb the spread. Earlier, the health department in its report revealed that 383 cases of diphtheria had been recorded this year across from 228 union councils in 27 districts of the province. Alarmingly, 91 percent of the affected children had not received the diphtheria vaccine, it said and added that the outbreak had occurred 27 times this year in districts including Peshawar, Mardan, Dera Ismail Khan, Bannu, Kohat, Charsadda, Haripur, and Swabi, with 75 percent of affected children being over five years old.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan