By NewsDesk  @infectiousdiseasenews

The World Health Organization (WHO) reported today that the ongoing measles outbreak in Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is showing a sustained decline in new cases and deaths–reporting 245 suspected cases and one death during the week ending Sept. 6.

WHO reminds while the declining trend in this long-standing measles outbreak is to be welcomed, this is dependent on continuing vaccine program efforts, without which cases will rebound.

Major infant vaccine programs have been ongoing in 2019 and 2020, with a total of 18.4 million children aged 6-59 months reached between October and December 2019.

From the start of the outbreak on 31 December 2018 to 6 September 2020, there has been a total of 382,370 cases and 7,071 deaths (case fatality ratio 1.8%).

In 2020 to date, 70,899 suspected cases have been reported, including 1,026 deaths (case fatality ratio 1.4%). This is a decrease compared to the same period in 2019, when there were 184,289 suspected cases and 3,650 deaths reported.

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