The Zimbabwe Government will step up its vaccination campaign after a measles outbreak that has killed at least 157 children, with more than 2 000 infections reported across the country.
Cases have been growing rapidly since the first infection was logged earlier this month, with reported deaths almost doubling in less than a week, reports VOA News.
“As of 15 August, the cumulative figure across the country has risen to 2 056 cases and 157 deaths,” said Information Minister Monica Mutsvangwa.
She said the government had invoked special legislation allowing it to draw money from the national disaster fund “to deal with the emergency” and boost vaccinations.
The government would also engage with traditional and faith leaders for their support for the immunisation campaign, as most victims had not been vaccinated. The Health Ministry previously blamed the outbreak on church sect gatherings.
In April, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said Africa was facing an explosion of preventable diseases due to delays in vaccinating children, with measles cases jumping 400%.
And this month the US Centres for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) said almost 41 countries had put off their measles campaigns for 2020 or 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, increasing the risk of bigger outbreaks around the world, including the United States. As of 8 August, 12 new cases had been reported by four countries in the European Union and European Economic Area (EEA): Germany (7), Hungary (2), Ireland (2) and Poland (1).
MedicalBrief recently carried a Spotlight report saying the effect of low immunisation coverage had already been seen in South Africa this year when the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) notified the public of a measles outbreak in Gauteng. While the outbreak was not large, it was a worrying sign.
Dr Sufang Guo, chief of the Health and Nutrition Programme for Unicef in South Africa, said overall vaccination estimates for this country hover at around 80% to 90% but vary according to vaccine type and district and economic groups, with many districts not achieving the target of 90% immunisation coverage for all vaccines.
She said a measles outbreak was an early indication that there were gaps in the country’s immunisation coverage: insufficient measles vaccine coverage is the major reason for outbreaks, and 95% coverage for measles is needed to achieve herd immunity – a target SA has not reached.
VOA News – More Than 150 Children Dead in Zimbabwe Measles Outbreak (Open access)
See more from MedicalBrief archives:
South Africa ‘on the cusp’ of a major measles outbreak, say experts
Africa winning in measles immunisation
Suspected measles cases in Gauteng
Africa: Benefits of childhood vaccination programmes far outweigh risks of COVID-19 transmission