Diphtheria Kills 13 Children in Karachi as Sindh Reports Highest Number of Suspected Cases
Diphtheria has claimed 13 children’s lives at Karachi’s Sindh Infectious Diseases Hospital this year. Sindh has reported the highest number of suspected cases in Pakistan, prompting experts to urge timely vaccination.
KARACHI: as Karachi continues to battle a surge in HIV infections, health authorities are now facing another growing public health concern after diphtheria claimed the lives of 13 children at the Sindh Infectious Diseases Hospital (SIDH), NIPA, this year. Medical experts have warned that the disease is entirely preventable through routine vaccination and are urging parents to ensure their children receive timely immunisation.
According to official figures, SIDH has recorded 30 confirmed diphtheria cases so far in 2026, with 13 children dying from complications linked to the highly contagious bacterial infection.
National surveillance data shows that Pakistan reported 308 suspected diphtheria cases between January and June this year. Sindh accounted for the highest number with 113 suspected cases, followed by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (87), Balochistan (64), Punjab (35), Islamabad (7), and Gilgit-Baltistan (2).
Health experts said diphtheria spreads rapidly through respiratory droplets and close contact, making young children particularly vulnerable. The disease commonly begins with swollen glands in the neck and the formation of a thick grey membrane in the throat. Other symptoms include high fever, severe sore throat and breathing difficulties.
Doctors warned parents not to ignore these symptoms, saying delayed treatment can quickly become life-threatening. They advised families to seek immediate medical care if children develop signs of the infection.
Medical specialists stressed that diphtheria is one of several vaccine-preventable diseases covered under Pakistan’s National Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI). The programme provides free vaccines that protect children against tuberculosis (TB), polio, diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, hepatitis B, Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib), pneumonia, measles, rubella and other infectious diseases.
Health officials explained that vaccines are administered according to a prescribed schedule to help children develop immunity at an early age, when their immune systems are still developing and they are at greater risk of severe infections.
Experts added that routine immunisation not only protects individual children but also limits the spread of infectious diseases within communities, significantly reducing the risk of severe illness, disability and death.
They urged parents to complete the full vaccination schedule for their children, emphasizing that timely immunisation, early diagnosis and prompt medical treatment remain the most effective measures to prevent diphtheria-related deaths and other vaccine-preventable diseases.