WHO says delay in measles immunisation could lead to outbreaks
In a statement issued by WHO, the health authority said that fifteen African countries delayed measles immunisation drives last year as they dealt with the Covid-19 pandemic.
CAPE TOWN, April 22 (ANA) – The World Health Organization (WHO) on Thursday warned that due to the delayed measles immunisation drives in eight African countries, there was a major risk of outbreaks.
The health authority said that 15 African countries delayed measles immunisation drives last year as they dealt with the Covid-19 pandemic.
While seven of these countries have now completed the campaigns, eight remain outstanding, posing a risk of major measles outbreaks.
According to new data, an estimated 16.6 million children in Africa missed planned supplemental measles vaccine doses between January 2020 and April 2021 and eight African countries reported major measles outbreaks that affected tens of thousands during the period.
WHO said the outbreaks were largely due to low routine immunisation coverage or delayed vaccination drives.
In addition, the quality of measles surveillance in Africa fell to the lowest level in seven years in 2020, with just 11 countries meeting their target.
“Recent outbreaks of measles, but also yellow fever, cholera and meningitis all point to worrying gaps in immunisation coverage and surveillance in Africa,” Dr Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa said.
She said that as the region fights Covid-19, it cannot leave anyone dangerously exposed to preventable diseases.
Moeti urged all countries to double down on essential health services, including life-saving vaccination campaigns.
Measles is highly contagious and requires at least 95% immunisation coverage in the population to prevent outbreaks.
Coverage with the first dose of the measles-containing vaccine has stagnated at around 69% in the WHO African Region since 2013. Only seven countries in the region achieved 95% measles-containing vaccine coverage in 2019.
The WHO said the low measles coverage reflected a wider stagnation in routine immunisation in Africa that, in some countries, has been exacerbated by the pandemic and related restrictions.
The latest data shows that around nine million children in Africa miss life-saving vaccines each year and one in five children remain unprotected from vaccine preventable diseases, which claim the lives of over 500,000 children under five years in Africa every year.
– African News Agency (ANA); Editing by Devereaux Morkel
