By Daniel Itai.
Muanda, DRC – (News of The South) -More than 280 000 people have contracted measles and at least 5 700 have died from the disease in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) this year.
The World Health Organization said this is the largest measles epidemic in the world to date. Measles has now spread to all of the country’s 26 provinces.
Several factors have contributed to the rapid spread of this epidemic. In some regions of the country, there is an extremely low immunization coverage. This is not only due to a shortage of the measles vaccine but when vaccines are available, access is limited.
“Since mid-November, the Congolese health authorities started measles supplementary immunization activities throughout the country. MSF continues providing free quality medical care to patients, but for now, the epidemic is still several steps ahead of the medical-humanitarian response,” said Alex Wade, head of DRC Mission for Doctors Without Borders (MSF).
Wade further called upon the DRC government and nongovernmental organizations to work together in addressing the epidemic.
“It is essential that humanitarian organizations and other responders pool all possible efforts to help the Congolese ministry of Public Health to overcome this measles outbreak. Too many children have died from this easily preventable disease.”
Between January 2018 and October 2019, 46 870 measles patients were treated and 1 461 550 children vaccinated.
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