Kabul, Nov 6: The World Health Organisation (WHO) has sounded an alarm over the growing risk of a measles outbreak in Afghanistan, urging parents to ensure that all children under the age of five are vaccinated.
In a statement released on Thursday, WHO called vaccination the most effective way to curb the spread of measles, which has already claimed several young lives in recent months, according to Afghanistan-based Khaama Press. The organisation warned that widespread malnutrition and limited access to healthcare have intensified the crisis, leaving many Afghan children dangerously vulnerable to preventable diseases.
Health officials in Nangarhar recently launched a 10-day vaccination campaign targeting high-risk groups to prevent new infections. Afghanistan has experienced recurring measles outbreaks in recent years, a trend experts attribute to declining vaccination rates and a weak healthcare infrastructure. International health agencies have cautioned that, without consistent immunisation drives, the country could face another severe epidemic, further straining its fragile health system.
Compounding the crisis, the United Nations has highlighted Afghanistan’s deepening humanitarian emergency. UN Secretary-General spokesperson Stephane Dujarric cited the World Food Programme’s (WFP) warning that 2025 could see the country’s worst malnutrition levels yet, with more than 4.7 million women and children requiring urgent treatment.
At Kabul’s Indira Gandhi Children’s Hospital, doctors report that three to five severely malnourished children are admitted daily. Mohammad Arif Hasanzai, head of the hospital’s internal medicine department, said the 20 available beds for malnutrition cases are constantly occupied, underscoring the urgent need for nutritional and medical support alongside vaccination efforts.
Health experts stress that strengthening vaccination coverage is critical to prevent further loss of young lives in Afghanistan’s ongoing health crisis.
