Abstract
Infectious diseases account for the vast majority of mortality and morbidity in the South Central Asian region. Circulating measles in the region poses a threat to the traveler, with outbreaks among the local population reported in Pakistan, Kazakhstan, and Afghanistan and cases among travelers in the last five years. Febrile illness in the region is predominantly attributed to enteric fever, dengue, rickettsial disease, leptospirosis (including outbreaks after flooding), and malaria, particularly Plasmodium vivax and falciparum. In 2013, an estimated 21.8 million infants worldwide were not reached with routine immunization services, of whom nearly half live in three countries: India, Nigeria, and Pakistan. Vaccine-preventable diseases account for a significant number of childhood illnesses and deaths in the region. The WHO cites pediatric immunization coverage at >95% in Bhutan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Sri Lanka, and Uzbekistan, and approaching 90% for most vaccines in Bangladesh and Nepal whereas coverage hovers around 70% for Afghanistan, India and Pakistan.