Six Afghans have been killed by an outbreak of whooping cough in the remote central province of Ghor, a government newspaper said on Thursday.

About 200 residents of the Torya district of Ghor have been infected by the disease, the Anis Daily quoted Public Health Minister Sayed Mohammad Amin Fatemi as saying.

Doctors and medicines will be air lifted to the region to try to prevent further deaths, the government newspaper said.

At least 28 children died from whooping cough and measles last month in the neighbouring province of Dai Kundi and in Uruzgan.

The three provinces are among Afghanistan’s poorest and roads in the mountainous region are inaccessible during the harsh winter.