‘After the death of animals, it is the turn of humans!’
The Sindh province of Pakistan has suffered major floods in 2010, 2011 and again in 2012 during the rainy monsoon season, the province also went through a brief drought period during the monsoon season due to which numbers of Peacocks died in the province. Now it seems as humans are the target!
Children dying every day!
Sindh did escape the burnt of outbreak of diseases at first but in the month of December, a deadly virus engulfed the upper parts of the province. Sukkur, Shikarpur, Khairpur, Jacobabad, Kashmore, Larkana and Qamber-Shahdadkot are the districts where the disease is epidemic at the moment.
As of December 31, a total of 300 children (according to World Health Organization) have died in Sindh province due to this virus which is said to have spread rapidly due to unhygienic and unhealthy living conditions in rural areas of Sindh. It has been reported by GEO NEWS that many areas of Jacobabad that received the heaviest rain after 100 years is still sub-merged under rainwater.
On January 2, 2013 – At least 20 children died in the province due to the infection.
The name of the virus
- Measles
It is a contiguous disease that is the main cause of children’s death in undeveloped countries. Measles is a disease that spreads from one person to another through cough, touching and sneezing. Babies should be vaccinated after their birth which significantly reduces the risk catching this disease infact there is no possibility of this virus coming if the baby has been vaccinated. Following are the symptoms of Measles;
- Slightly bloody eyes
- Fever
- Cough
- Sneeze
- Rash
- Muscle pain
- Spots inside mouth
Help is coming
United Nation’s World Health Organization (WHO) would be soon launching a vaccination campaign on war footing in the province to control this disease from spreading to other areas of Sindh however most people do not like to vaccinate their children as they think that such vaccination products by westerners are un-Islamic.
According to WHO, last year 28 children died in Sindh due to measles while 139,300 people died of measles worldwide in 2010. Lets hope that this virus is controlled now rather than later or else Sindh province would start resembling Africa!
Pakistan Weather Portal 