KABUL: The World Health Organization (WHO) has reported that since the beginning of this year, over 55,000 suspected cases of measles have been recorded in Afghanistan, resulting in 357 deaths.
In its weekly report, the organization noted that in the twentieth week of the year alone, 21 individuals died from the disease, with 19 of those being children.
The report highlights that the highest number of cases has been registered in Helmand, Nuristan, and Badakhshan provinces.
Among the fatalities, 46% were women, and 78% were children under five years old.
It was also mentioned that during the twentieth week of 2025, as part of response efforts to curb the spread of the disease, a total of 831 children aged between 9 to 59 months were vaccinated across 13 provinces.
The WHO emphasized that the incidence of measles in Afghanistan this year has exceeded the average of the past three years.
