KARACHI: The World Health Organization (WHO) has stepped forward with an offer to provide vaccines following a deadly M-pox outbreak in Khairpur district, where seven newborn deaths have been reported in connection with the virus, the Sindh Health Department confirmed.
Health authorities have raised serious concerns over infection control practices, as the cases were traced back to hospital settings, prompting an active investigation into the source of the outbreak.
Officials say they were first alerted on March 14, when reports of unusual skin rashes among infants began to surface. Blood samples were subsequently dispatched to Karachi, where analysis across multiple laboratories confirmed seven M-pox cases.
However, medical experts have urged caution in attributing the deaths directly to the virus, noting that all affected infants were premature, underweight, and battling complications arising from malnutrition. Experts maintain that M-pox was not the primary cause of death in any of the reported cases.
Health officials clarified that the WHO-offered vaccines will not be made available to the general public, and will instead be administered exclusively to specific high-risk groups and frontline healthcare workers.
As the number of cases continues to rise in Khairpur, the virus appears to be spreading to neighboring districts.
In response, the health department has directed all hospitals to establish 24-hour information desks and ensure immediate coordination with Rescue 1122 through a structured referral system. The Director General of Health Sindh has further ordered the establishment of dedicated M-pox Response Units across hospitals in the province.
Medical experts have also called for mandatory HIV screening of all children suspected of M-pox infection, citing potential co-infection risks. Besides these, health authorities have intensified surveillance efforts province-wide as the situation continues to develop.
