The number of measles patients are increasing in many provinces. According to the statistics of the Ministry of Public Health, since the beginning of 2022, thousands of measles cases have been registered in the country. But in the last three months, only in Kandahar and Helmand provinces, more than 670 children have been infected with this disease.
Many children who have been infected with measles, their families do not know the importance of vaccination for this disease and they say that whenever their children get sick, they give them the medicines they have at home.
Bibi Tahira, who lives in the 3rd district of Kandahar province, says that her granddaughter is hospitalized in the Mirwais seminary hospital, and it has been four days since she contracted measles. She adds that his grandson has a sore throat, and doctors have said that he is suffering from measles.
‘He has been infected with measles for five days and he has been hospitalized for four days.’
The mother of another child, who brought her child to the hospital from the Panjvae district, says that she did not vaccinate her children against measles.
‘My child has been infected with measles. His fever was very high. We haven’t vaccinated him against measles and other vaccines yet.’
Dr. Mohammad Sediq, the head of the pediatric department of the Mirwais seminary hospital, says that in the last three months, 318 children with this disease have been brought to this hospital, most of them children under 10 years old. According to him, 8 of them lost their lives.
He added that such statistics were recorded not only in Mirwais seminary hospital but significant statistics were also recorded in district clinics.
Measles is a Viral Disease
Dr. Mohammad Sediq says that measles is a viral disease and is transmitted from one person to another through breathing.
According to him, this virus is active in very hot or very cold weather, and to prevent its spread, the body’s resistance should be increased, nutritious foods should be used, and children should be vaccinated.
‘In the three months of the winter season, 318 children were admitted to the hospital, of which 8 died. Most of these children were brought to the hospital in critical condition.’
Doctors say that the obvious symptoms of measles are red seeds, nausea, and body itching, and after these symptoms, the patient should be taken to the hospital as soon as possible.
Child Mortality
In addition to Kandahar, the number of children suffering from measles is also increasing in Helmand. Dr. Abdul Tawab Baryal, head of the pediatric department of Bost Hospital in Helmand province, says that the number of measles patients has increased compared to previous years.
According to him, in the last two months, 90 to 121 children with measles have been admitted to the hospital every week, and 25 of them have died.
‘The patient is brought to the hospital in a very bad condition; in a situation where the patient’s condition is very serious and even his life is in danger. ‘Mothers in remote areas do arbitrary work, which worsens the condition of the patient.’
Sakina, who lives in the Musa Qala district of Helmand province, says that her child was vomiting and then red acne was found in her body, and she did not know that the child was infected with measles.
He adds that he first took his child to the district clinic, but he was not treated there, then he had to transfer his child to a hospital in the city.
‘I took my 5 children to the hospital, three of them got better and the other two are still hospitalized. Doctors say that the condition of one of them is severe. My husband told me not to vaccinate them.’
Doctors say that one of the symptoms of measles is that the child first coughs, his nose runs, his eyes turn red, and then rashes appear on his skin. These seeds first spread to the back of the neck and behind the ears and then to the whole body. In addition, the child has a high fever, loss of appetite, and restlessness.
The Importance of Vaccination
According to doctors, some people do not vaccinate their children due to a lack of knowledge about the importance of vaccination and the problems in their lives, and the consequences of their actions cause their children’s lives to be endangered by catching measles.
Health workers say that parents should vaccinate all their children under one year against polio, measles, whooping cough, tetanus, tuberculosis, jaundice, and shortness of breath in order to avoid the dangers of these diseases.
According to doctors, the vaccination for these diseases is applied to children for free in every health center.
Dr. Amir Seyed Hashemi, the head of a private hospital, emphasizing children’s vaccination, says that children’s vaccination should be applied to them at the right time, if this is not done, children will face dire consequences.
‘Whenever your children turn one year old, they should be vaccinated. If they are not vaccinated, they will face many problems, and if the child’s immunity system is weak, diseases may kill children.’
Health experts emphasize that all families should vaccinate their children before they get measles because children who are vaccinated are less likely to get measles.
Translated by: Shir Ali Jafari
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