The recent documents from the Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) supported hospitals in Afghanistan revealed an alarming surge in measles cases. The facilities in Balkh, Herat and Helmand Kabul have reported a rise in measles cases.
According to MSF, at least one child in Afghanistan has died from measles every day so far in 2025. MSF in a statement said that it is almost three times as many deaths as were witnessed during the same period last year.
Officials have urged for rapid vaccination action as immunisation coverage remains low in Afghanistan.
“These are preventable deaths. Measles can be a deadly disease, particularly for children with underlying health conditions like malnutrition or congenital heart defects. It can also be prevented by a vaccine, but the immunisation coverage remains low in Afghanistan,” says Mickael Le Paih, Country Representative with MSF.
The measles outbreak is not just a concern in Afghanistan alone. World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned about the spread of the virus across Europe and America. Over 1,27,000 cases were reported across the European region last year. It is a high number since 1997.
Community-level rapid and targeted vaccination in the districts, with measles outbreaks, would help reduce the number of measles cases.
In three hospitals across Afghanistan, over 4,700 children were suspected of having measles in the first eight weeks of this year.
“We are dedicating additional resources, but we are already running out of space for patients suffering not just from measles, but seasonal illnesses as well,” says Le Paih.
The measles outbreak is taking its toll on children and parents. It requires collective decisive efforts to implement targeted vaccinations and enable wide access to measles treatment kits. MSF runs seven projects in Bamyan, Helmand, Herat, Mazar-i-Sharif, Kandahar, Khost and Kunduz, with a particular focus on delivering secondary healthcare services.
What is measles?
Measles is a highly contagious disease caused by a virus that can lead to severe complications even resulting in death. It is a disease preventable by vaccination. Though the virus can affect anyone, it is mainly seen in children.
What are the symptoms?
Early symptoms of measles include:
Running nose
Cough
Watery eyes
White spots
Complications can include blindness, severe diarrhoea, ear infections and breathing issues including pneumonia.