UN health officials reported an update on the measles epidemic in Madagascar recently and it shows that the number of cases has risen to 105,170 since September 3, 2019.
There were 634 reported deaths in health facilities and 567 community deaths including 114 measles-related deaths and 453 non-measles related death assessed by community workers.
70 percent of the deaths are of children.
Officials say 104 out of 114 districts in all the 22 regions are in the epidemic phase.
Madagascar’s Ministry of Public Health and its civil society partners have launched an aggressive vaccination campaign across the country in hopes of slowing the spread of the disease.
This is an alarming situation,” said Dr. Ali Ouenzar, National Director of PIVOT, a prominent health sector NGO and Direct Relief partner on the front lines of the epidemic. Preventive measures must be accelerated to prevent the spread of the disease, he said. The group just completed a vaccination campaign effort that reached 65,000 children, ages 6 months to 9 years, in the district of Ifanadiana.
- Ukraine measles outbreak tops 30,000 cases year to date
- Vietnam: Pork tapeworm outbreak affects hundreds of children in Bac Ninh
- Hong Kong investigates measles case
- Philippines vaccination drive: 408K children targeted in W. Visayas
- University of Auckland freshman contracts measles, New Zealand vaccine supplies
- Rift Valley fever update: 101 human cases in Mayotte
Of the deaths – how many had recently been vaccinated?