SOUTH WAZIRISTAN: Ten children were diagnosed with measles in the Spin area of Wana tehsil, raising concerns among residents about a possible outbreak of the contagious disease.
According to residents, the cases were reported over the last two days when children from two separate households developed symptoms associated with measles.
Six children from one family and four from another were affected by the disease and were taken to a private hospital in the Wana Bazaar, where they were under treatment.
Local sources said that the children began showing symptoms, including fever, skin rashes and general weakness, before being taken to hospital for medical care.
The residents urged the health authorities in Lower South Waziristan to dispatch medical teams to the affected locality, monitor the situation and launch a vaccination drive to contain the spread of the disease.
They called for raising awareness among parents about the importance of routine immunisation to protect children against vaccine-preventable diseases.
When contacted, Lower South Waziristan District Health Officer Adnan Rashid Dawar told Dawn that vaccine refusal was the major contributing factor to the increasing number of measles cases in the Spin area.
He appealed to elders, religious scholars and community members to encourage people to get their children vaccinated through the routine immunisation programme.
The DHO said if any child or individual developed symptoms of measles, including fever, red skin rash, cough, runny nose, red eyes or weakness, they should immediately seek medical care at the Civil Hospital Spin or the District Headquarters Hospital, Wana, to ensure timely and appropriate treatment. He said that a dedicated measles ward had been established at the DHQ Hospital to treat the patients.
Published in Dawn, June 3rd, 2026.
