Islamabad, Oct 13 : Pakistan's Lower South Waziristan region has witnessed a sharp rise in measles cases during the current year, sparking public health concerns in the tribal district, local media reported on Monday.

As per the official data shared by the health department, more than 850 measles cases have so far been reported in Lower South Waziristan, with the most impacted areas being Wana, Toi Khulla, Birmal, and Shakai tehsils, Pakistan's leading daily Dawn reported. Health officials said that the increase in measles cases is due to low vaccination coverage and vaccine hesitancy among patients, especially in remote and mountainous areas of the district.

Speaking to leading Pakistani daily Dawn, Hameedullah, coordinator of the Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI) in Lower South Waziristan, said that most of infected children had not been vaccinated against measles vaccine, leaving them vulnerable to the outbreak.

He stated, "Our surveillance teams found that most of the affected children were unvaccinated. In contrast, areas where the vaccination coverage was strong recorded very few cases." He said that vaccine refusal and community resistance were the major challenges faced by health workers.

Hameedullah stated, "In many areas, especially among nomadic populations and remote villages, teams face serious difficulties reaching children. Some communities are still hesitant due to misconceptions about vaccines." He said that health department has intensified emergency operations to contain the spread of the diseases despite facing obstacles.

He said that measles can be prevented through vaccination and asked parents to take the disease seriously. He reiterated that measles can be prevented through collective responsibility and urged local communities to cooperate with vaccination teams so that each child receives vaccination.

Measles is a highly contagious disease caused by a virus and spreads easily when an infected person breathes, coughs or sneezes, according to World Health Organization (WHO) statement. It can cause severe disease, complications, and even death. Measles can affect anyone but is most common among children. Vaccination is the best way to prevent getting sick with measles or spreading it to other people.

/IANS