KARACHI: Pakistan’s Karachi city is grappling with a deadly diphtheria outbreak that has claimed the lives of more than 100 children this year, health officials said on Saturday. The alarming spike in cases is attributed to low vaccination rates.
According to the Sindh health department, the outbreak is the worst Karachi has seen in recent years, with hundreds of diphtheria cases recorded across the city. “Karachi is experiencing an unprecedented outbreak of diphtheria, resulting in at least 100 fatalities among children,” a health department spokesperson said.
Health authorities have directed all diphtheria cases to the Sindh Infectious Diseases Hospital (SIDH), where over 10 children are currently receiving treatment. However, the hospital is overwhelmed by the surge in patients, and a critical shortage of diphtheria antitoxin (DAT) is exacerbating the crisis.
“The only remedy for diphtheria is complete vaccination and antitoxin treatment,” experts stressed. However, the ongoing scarcity of the DAT and diphtheria vaccines has worsened the situation.
The Sindh Institute of Child Health and Neonatology (SICHN) is the only facility in the region providing limited vaccine doses to hospitals upon request, but these are far from sufficient to meet the rising demand.
The Pakistan Pediatric Association (PPA) confirmed the outbreak and pointed to failures in routine immunization programs as the primary cause. The association called for an urgent investigation into the gaps in the vaccination system.
“This outbreak reflects a breakdown in routine immunization efforts, which has left children vulnerable to a preventable disease,” a PPA representative said.
At SIDH alone, 20 children have succumbed to diphtheria this year. Many others have died in different hospitals and clinics across Karachi. Last year, SIDH treated 140 cases of diphtheria, with 52 fatalities reported.
Diphtheria, caused by the bacterium Corynebacterium diphtheriae, was once a leading cause of illness and death among children globally. However, after vaccination, the disease has been nearly eradicated in many countries.
However, in regions with low vaccination coverage, the disease continues to persist. The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that incomplete vaccination and delays in administering booster doses could lead to the resurgence of this deadly disease.
