More efforts required to eliminate measles in Maiduguri

Despite the implementation of innovative measles immunisation and surveillance strategy, more effort is required to sustain elimination and respond to cases in Maiduguri. Public health responses during the measles outbreak in some parts of the Borno State including vaccination were taken to eliminate the disease from spreading in April. Reps to halt abuse in orphanages […]

Despite the implementation of innovative measles immunisation and surveillance strategy, more effort is required to sustain elimination and respond to cases in Maiduguri.

Public health responses during the measles outbreak in some parts of the Borno State including vaccination were taken to eliminate the disease from spreading in April.

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Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has said the first child admitted to Gwange Hospital, Maiduguri with measles was on 3rd December 2020 and the number of patients has subsequently been increasing in other hospitals.

MSF was  later working alongside the state government to conduct a measles vaccination campaign to reach children aged six months to nine years. The campaign is in response to an uptick in cases of the virus in the areas surrounding Maiduguri beginning in December last year.

The campaign, which started on  April 26, for five days reached 103,823 children living in the districts of Gwange 1, 2 and 3, as well as 277,395 children in the informal IDP camps located in the districts of Bolori 1 and 2..

Also, 34,290 children in Khaddamari, a town close to Zabarmari, from where a large number of measles cases have emerged, were vaccinated.

Bintu Ibrahim who lives in Budum, Maiduguri said her two kids who have not been vaccinated have gotten the disease in May.

“I have not taken them to hospital but gave them local medicine and they are getting better. The skin rashes have started disappearing.

“Many kids who have contracted the disease from various locations need medications,” she said.

Meanwhile, at the beginning of May, 679 suspected cases of measles were reported within a week while the total number of cases reported in 17 weeks stands at 4,799.