Pakistan at the precipice: The looming threat of measles amidst the COVID-19 pandemic
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 3...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2022-11-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Public Health |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2022.1000906/full |
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| author | Samiuddin Tariq Faizan Niaz Yusra Afzal Rabbia Tariq Abdulqadir J. Nashwan Irfan Ullah Irfan Ullah |
| author_facet | Samiuddin Tariq Faizan Niaz Yusra Afzal Rabbia Tariq Abdulqadir J. Nashwan Irfan Ullah Irfan Ullah |
| author_sort | Samiuddin Tariq |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | 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. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T06:54:22Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-3ccc9caf59b747b19aa9a3a1d0f302d0 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2296-2565 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T06:54:22Z |
| publishDate | 2022-11-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Public Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-3ccc9caf59b747b19aa9a3a1d0f302d02022-12-22T04:39:05ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Public Health2296-25652022-11-011010.3389/fpubh.2022.10009061000906Pakistan at the precipice: The looming threat of measles amidst the COVID-19 pandemicSamiuddin Tariq0Faizan Niaz1Yusra Afzal2Rabbia Tariq3Abdulqadir J. Nashwan4Irfan Ullah5Irfan Ullah6Dow Medical College, Dow University of Health Sciences, Karachi, PakistanDow Medical College, Dow University of Health Sciences, Karachi, PakistanDow Medical College, Dow University of Health Sciences, Karachi, PakistanDow Medical College, Dow University of Health Sciences, Karachi, PakistanHamad Medical Corporation, Doha, QatarKabir Medical College, Gandhara University, Peshawar, PakistanInstitute of Public Health and Social Science (IPH&SS), Khyber Medical University, Peshawar, PakistanThe 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.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2022.1000906/fullmeaslesCOVID-19pandemicPakistanpreparedness |
| spellingShingle | Samiuddin Tariq Faizan Niaz Yusra Afzal Rabbia Tariq Abdulqadir J. Nashwan Irfan Ullah Irfan Ullah Pakistan at the precipice: The looming threat of measles amidst the COVID-19 pandemic Frontiers in Public Health measles COVID-19 pandemic Pakistan preparedness |
| title | Pakistan at the precipice: The looming threat of measles amidst the COVID-19 pandemic |
| title_full | Pakistan at the precipice: The looming threat of measles amidst the COVID-19 pandemic |
| title_fullStr | Pakistan at the precipice: The looming threat of measles amidst the COVID-19 pandemic |
| title_full_unstemmed | Pakistan at the precipice: The looming threat of measles amidst the COVID-19 pandemic |
| title_short | Pakistan at the precipice: The looming threat of measles amidst the COVID-19 pandemic |
| title_sort | pakistan at the precipice the looming threat of measles amidst the covid 19 pandemic |
| topic | measles COVID-19 pandemic Pakistan preparedness |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2022.1000906/full |
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