Death toll by pneumonia, common cold and measles has reached 18 including four children in Bajura in the past one month, a published report said Wednesday.

While the disease has already assumed epidemic proportion gripping some 17 VDCs, health institutions in affected sites lack adequate drugs, the Kathmandu Post said.

Authorities have been supplying low quality drugs to health institutions in the district as the Maoists started to take away 25 percent of the drugs from them, according to the daily.