Alarming surge in diphtheria, measles, dengue and malaria cases in KP

PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has seen a shocking increase in the number of diphtheria, measles, dengue and malaria cases during the year.

HUM News has obtained the report of the Anti-Gratified Disease Surveillance and Response System Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The report shows that several diseases increased by more than 100 per cent in 2024 compared to 2023.

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Diphtheria cases increased by 182 per cent in 2024. As compared to 337 reported cases of diphtheria in 2023, the recorded cases increased to 952 in 2024, the Health Department data showed. Likewise, dengue cases increased by 176 per cent in the province, from 1,980 cases 2023, to a whopping 5,477 cases in 2024.

Measles cases also went up by 43 percent increase in 2024, from 10,871 recorded cases in 2023, to 15,621 in 2024.

The rise in recorded malaria cases was 13 per cent, but the actual number of cases is worrisome itself. In 2023, a total of 239,902 malaria cases were reported, which went up to 271,344 cases in 2024, the Health Department data showed.

There were some encouraging statistics as well. For instance, typhoid cases fell by 32 per cent in 2024, and pneumonia cases declined by 21 per cent, Health Department said.

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Provincial Health Minister Ehtesham Ali said that the increase seen in measles and diphtheria cases is due to vaccine shortage. However, the increase in dengue and malaria cases is caused by climate change. “There was a shortage of vaccines in the early months of the year. However, later it was brought under control,” Ali said.