The National Institute of Health (NIH) has raised an alarm over a worrying increase in diphtheria cases across the country.
“The current diphtheria situation is alarming. There are deaths and cases all across Pakistan. Lab positivity is reported as well. But at the moment, we don’t have the actual number of deaths and cases,” an NIH official told the publication as the body issued its second advisory on the disease spread a day earlier.
The development comes as the ongoing diphtheria outbreak in Pakistan, and particularly the tragic loss of over 100 lives in Karachi, demands decisive action.
Diphtheria, a toxin-driven disease caused by Corynebacterium diphtheriae, primarily affects the respiratory system and can lead to severe respiratory distress and death if untreated.
Health authorities are under pressure to strengthen preventive and treatment protocols while intensifying awareness campaigns.
Without a concerted national response to increase vaccination coverage and public health education, experts warn that the Pakistan risks facing further outbreaks of this entirely preventable disease, threatening the lives of countless children and vulnerable populations.
The NIH issued a second advisory, underscoring the urgency of immediate preventive and control measures as cases surge across multiple regions, threatening to overwhelm healthcare systems already under strain.
