A measles outbreak has killed eight children and afflicting over a dozen in different areas of Bajaur Agency over the last few days.

Locals told Dawn on Thursday that children in far-flung villages of Utmankhel and Barang tehsils were the worst hit by measles. Hazrat Gul, a Uthmankhel resident, said five children died in his village.

A local health official Dr Khursheed Khan confirmed the measles outbreak in the agency. He said there were reports about deaths of children by measles in various localities, where health teams had been sent for verification.

NEW DELHI: India will for the first time introduce a vaccine against Rubella - a viral disease that infects pregnant women and leads to babies being born with cardiac, cerebral, ophthalmic and auditory defects. The Union health ministry so far believed that the disease, also called German Measles, did not affect Indians. Now, the ministry estimates that around 30,000 abnormal children are being born annually because of Rubella. Many experts, however, say the accurate figure would be around two lakh babies.

RAYAGADA: Eight children have died in the last 10 days and as many as 30 are suffering from measles in the remote and inaccessible Silapas and Rayalghat villages under Jogipaitunga panchayat of Kashipur block. While one child died on Friday, another death was reported on Sunday.

Kashipur PHC in-charge Rajendra Kumar Mandal said four children have died of measles while another four died of other complications in the last eight days.

New Delhi: The country’s first integrated vaccine centre (IVC) — a single site that will produce six important vaccines administered to Indian children — has crossed the final hurdle. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) on Thursday approved the Union health ministry’s Rs 594-crore park proposal.

Spread over 100 acres at Chengalpattu near Chennai, the park will produce all six primary vaccines used in the country’s Universal Immunization Programme (UIP), besides manufacturing several new-generation vaccines.

With 65,500 Casualties In 2010, India’s Record Is Poorer Than Africa’s, Says WHO-Spearheaded Study. Nearly half of all deaths due to measles globally occurred in India in 2010. While mortality due to measles dipped from 5.35 lakh in 2000 to 1.39 lakh globally in 2010, India recorded 47% of those deaths in comparison to 16% of global deaths in 2000.

“Delayed implementation of accelerated disease control in India” has led the country to account for “47 per cent of estimated measles mortality in 2010” stated a paper published today (April 24) in The Lancet . At 36 per cent, even the World Health Organisation (WHO) African region accounted for lesser mortality than India.

The high number recorded in India stands out, as the global measles mortality had decreased by 74 per cent in 2010.

“Nearly 9.7 million children in the South-East Asian region still do not get the most basic of vaccines like the third dose of DTP-containing vaccine. Immunisation is one of the most cost-effective public health interventions.

Growing opportunities through new funding as well as research and development initiatives should not go in vain due to the lack of perceived benefit. We need to increase public awareness and ensure that the public understands how immunisation saves lives,” WHO regional director for South-East Asia Dr. Samlee Plianbangchang has said.