In a follow-up on the measles outbreak in Madagascar, the Ministry of Public Health (MoH) of Madagascar has reported 19,539 measles cases and 39 deaths since October 2018.
Cases were reported from 66 of 114 total districts in all 22 regions of Madagascar.
According to a WHO release this week, the outbreak has spread to densely populated urban cities including Toamasina, Mahajanga, Antsirabe, Toliara and the capital city Antananarivo. Most cases were reported from Analamanga (61%) and Boeny (20%) regions.
Two-thirds of the cases have been reported in children 14 and younger.
The circulating genotype for the current measles outbreak in Madagascar is B3, usually found in Africa and Europe.
A vaccination campaign which targeted over 2 million children ended today.
Low coverage with measles vaccine combined with a low incidence of measles in recent years in Madagascar has contributed to a significant proportion of the population which is susceptible to measles. According to WHO and UNICEF estimates, the measles immunization coverage in Madagascar was 58% in 2017. The malnutrition rate is also a contributor as malnutrition increases children’s vulnerability of serious complications and death from measles infection.
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