Measles, Diphtheria and Tetanus Claim 88 Children’s Lives in Sindh in Eight Months
KARACHI: At least 88 children have died from measles, diphtheria and tetanus in Sindh during the first eight months of 2026, according to health data.
The figures show that 63 children died from measles, 20 from diphtheria and five from tetanus between January and August.
A total of 8,032 suspected measles cases were reported in Sindh between January 4 and August 8, of which 3,123 were confirmed. The province also recorded 57 confirmed cases of diphtheria and 20 cases of tetanus.
During the period, 53 measles outbreaks were confirmed across 15 districts of the province.
Khairpur recorded the highest number of child deaths, followed by Dadu and Larkana. Karachi East, Sukkur and Thatta ranked third, while Badin and Shikarpur were fourth and Matiari fifth.
The data obtained from the Sindh Health Department and the World Health Organization showed that 55 percent of children with confirmed measles cases had not received even a single dose of the measles vaccine despite being nine months of age or older.
The figures have also raised questions over claims of 100 percent performance by district health officers during measles vaccination campaigns, with health experts calling for independent verification of such claims.
