By NewsDesk @bactiman63
Soon after the massive 2018-2020 measles outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), in
which some 460,000 cases were reported, including 8000 deaths was recorded, Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) reports the contagious viral disease is on the rise once again in the country.
MSF reports more than 13,000 new cases since the beginning of the year.
“Unfortunately, since the end of 2020, several provinces have started recording new increases in patients with measles, notably the North and South Ubangi provinces,” said Anthony Kergosien, coordinator of MSF’s emergency response team in DRC.
“Measles is the most contagious disease in the world, nearly 10 times more than COVID-19,” said Kergosien. “Winning the fight in DRC against this killer will require a vaccine coverage of 95 percent with two doses per child, and regular mop-up campaigns to vaccinate those who slip through the cracks, including in the most vulnerable, difficult-to-access areas. But we are still very, very far from this.”
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