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. 2022 Nov 21:10:1000906.
doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.1000906. eCollection 2022.

Pakistan at the precipice: The looming threat of measles amidst the COVID-19 pandemic

Samiuddin Tariq  1 , Faizan Niaz  1 , Yusra Afzal  1 , Rabbia Tariq  1 , Abdulqadir J Nashwan  2 , Irfan Ullah  3   4
Affiliations

Pakistan at the precipice: The looming threat of measles amidst the COVID-19 pandemic

Samiuddin Tariq et al. Front Public Health. .

Abstract

The global focus on curbing the COVID-19 pandemic has reduced the overall immunization rates worldwide. This, coupled with increasing malnutrition and strained healthcare, has increased measles cases and mortality globally. Many countries are thus facing outbreaks, with Afghanistan having reported 372 deaths between January and September 2022. Therefore, Pakistan, a country in a similar economic state and the world's fourth highest reported measles cases in 2022, must take action. Moreover, the current flooded state of Pakistan and the subsequent mass movement of population, deterioration of health services, and worsened living conditions all contribute to put the country at a high risk of potentially devastating Measles outbreaks. With vaccination rates down by 42% since the start of the pandemic and the threat of an outbreak increasing daily, there is only so much time before the situation spirals out of control.

Keywords: COVID-19; Pakistan; measles; pandemic; preparedness.

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Conflict of interest statement

Author AN was employed by Hamad Medical Corporation. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Countries with large measles outbreaks in the past 12 months.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Reported measles cases in Pakistan—past 20 years.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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