THE World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned against a dangerous measles comeback in many countries including in Africa as cases have been increasing since the beginning of the year.
Measles is a preventable highly infectious viral illness that can sometimes lead to serious health complications such as lung and brain infections in children.
According to WHO, trust in vaccines is highest in poor countries but weaker in wealthy ones where scepticism has allowed outbreaks of diseases such as measles to persist, a global study established in June.
This has forced the international organisation to strip the United Kingdom, Greece, Czech Republic and Albania their measles free status.
For a country to attain the measles free status, it must achieve at least 95 percent measles immunisation coverage and Zimbabwe stands at 90 percent.
“Every region in the world, except the Americas, is experiencing an increase in cases of measles, a vaccine-preventable disease that can kill or disable children,” said WHO in a statement last week.
“Nearly 365 000 cases have been reported globally this year, the highest figure since 2006, which represent only a fraction of the 6,7 million suspected cases. Measles caused an estimated 109 000 deaths in 2017 as shown by recent figures.” WHO blamed weak health systems and misinformation about vaccines for the measles comeback. It urged social media outlets and communities to make sure information about preventing the highly contagious disease is accurate.
“Nearly three times as many cases were reported from January to July this year than in the same period in 2018. The biggest outbreaks are raging in the Democratic Republic of Congo (155 460 cases), Madagascar (127 454) and Ukraine (54 246),” reads the statement.
Health experts say the virus has spread among school-age children whose parents declined to give them the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine, which confers immunity to the disease.
Zimbabwe launched a national immunisation programme in 2012 following a massive measles outbreak in 2009 which killed 630 children.
During that time, more than 12 000 suspected cases were recorded.
Ministry of Health and Child Care’s Epidemiology and Disease Control director Dr Portia Manangazira recently said Government has intensified efforts to ensure that all children are vaccinated against measles.
“For this year, we have intensified efforts in six-low performing districts which require us to raise measles vaccination coverage to at least 90 percent as elimination requires sustained 95 percent coverage,” she said.State media
