KABUL: Around 18,744 suspected cases of measles with 94 deaths reported in Afghanistan since the start of 2024, according to the World Health Organization. As per the details, of these cases, 80.5%, or 15,096, were recorded among children under the age of five, with females accounting for 45.1%, or 8,462 cases.
Notably, Balkh province reported the highest cumulative cases of suspected measles, with 14.6 cases per 10,000 individuals, followed closely by Samangan with 14.3, Khost with 11.3, and Farah with 10.3.
The report highlights a declining trend in the epidemiological curve of suspected measles cases over the past four weeks, following a surge observed since late November 2023. This decrease is attributed to reduced community transmission as winter concludes in certain provinces, alongside the impact of a multi-antigen acceleration campaign targeting 53 districts across 13 provinces.
During the 16th week of 2024, there were 1,316 suspected measles cases and seven deaths, showing that the number of suspected cases remained steady compared to the previous week.
