Measles Outbreaks in Afghanistan

healthcare funding and surveillance efforts focused on fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, this situation left Afghanistan more prone to measles outbreaks. 1A total of 35,319 suspected cases and 156 measles death cases were reported from January 2021 to 2022.Of the suspected cases, the majority of measles cases (91%) and fatalities (97%) were among children <5 years old.Between January and August 2022, 65,470 suspected cases and 367 measles death cases were reported. 10Between November and December 2022, the Afghanistan national measles campaign vaccinated 5.3 million children in all provinces to contain the spread of the disease. 11 Nevertheless, even after the national measles campaign was completed, Afghanistan still ranks among the top 10 countries with the most measles outbreaks, with 17,289 reported cases since January 2023. 12his possibly represents an underestimate, as causes of disease and mortality are not systematically recorded by the public health system in Afghanistan. 13