In Adamawa, Nigeria, a devastating measles outbreak has claimed the lives of at least 42 people within just over a week, as confirmed by Felix Tangwami, the state’s health commissioner. The outbreak has primarily struck two local government areas, where nearly 200 suspected cases have been identified.
Tangwami addressed the concerning situation during a media briefing on Friday, stating that measures are being taken to contain the outbreak. Vaccines have been swiftly dispatched to the affected areas, and field teams are actively working to manage the crisis.
Measles, a highly contagious airborne virus, predominantly targets children under the age of five. The disease can be prevented through two doses of vaccine. Initial symptoms include high fever, cough, and runny nose, often accompanied by a distinctive rash and bumps across the body.
Despite significant progress in measles prevention globally, with over 50 million deaths averted since 2000, challenges persist in regions like Nigeria’s northeastern states. The ongoing insecurity, exacerbated by activities of groups like Boko Haram since 2009, has disrupted vaccination campaigns, leaving many children vulnerable to the disease.
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The humanitarian crisis resulting from the displacement of over two million people in Nigeria has further strained healthcare access, particularly in rural communities. Medical aid organization Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) reported treating 3,965 measles patients between October and December, attributing the surge partly to the difficulty of reaching remote areas around Maiduguri, the capital of Borno state.
Jombo Tochukwu-Okoli, MSF’s medical activity manager at Gwange Pediatric Hospital, highlighted the virus’s rapid spread among unvaccinated children. Each infected child, he warned, has the potential to transmit the virus to between nine and twelve others, underscoring the urgent need for comprehensive vaccination efforts to curb the outbreak.
Source: Aljazeera