Measles outbreak kills 157 children in Badakhshan

More than 150 children died following the outbreak of measles in northeastern Badakhshan province, local officials said Friday.

According to the official, 117 children in the Kuf Ab district and 40 others in Darwazi Bala (Nusay) district died of measles in the past few days.

“At least 117 children died from measles diseases in 22 villages of [ Kuf Ab district],” a member of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) told Ariana News.

Most of the children who died were living in areas with no access to health services.

Provincial officials, meanwhile, have sent health teams and medicine to help local health workers to contain the outbreak.

Provincial Governor Deputy Mawlawi Nisar Ahmad Ahmadi stated that a health facility will be built for both Kuf Ab and Darwazi Bala districts early next year.

“People are dealing with too many problems here; I raised health services including building a hospital here to the health officials from the Center and Agha Khan who visited Badakhshan province; In spring the hospital would be inaugurated in order to resolve issues of the people here,” Ahmadi said.

Qari Nazir, Head of Badakhshan Public Health Directorate, said: “[We brought] 48 medicine boxes including injections and medical kits for 90,000 to 100,000 people.”