Eight months after the official declaration of the end of the world’s largest measles epidemic, which killed more than 7,000 children in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the situation is once again worrying. More than 13,000 cases have been registered since January 2020. Almost all provinces have reported new cases of measles. Since the beginning of the year, humanitarian actors have been vaccinated in epidemic centers that were to be extinguished.
as reported from Kinshasa, Patient Ligodi
The epidemic is gaining ground. Emergency measures have been resumed for NGOs Médecins Sans Frontières. It is active in the north and south of Ubangi, but also in Bas-Uélé and the province of Maniema.
The number of cases registered in almost all provinces is worrying: 186 deaths since the beginning of the year. More than 80% of these victims are children under the age of five.
For NGOs, the most difficult thing at this stage is a little knowledge of the causes the disease is back in force. Some humanitarian actors believe that the epidemic was not over when it was officially declared defeated in August 2020.
But questions also arise about vaccination: will the vaccine be in good condition in remote areas? Is the cold chain respected?
To combat this ailment effectively, MSF argues that there should be total vaccination coverage with two doses per child. We should also vaccinate those who pass through the cracks, especially in the most difficult areas.
Normally, every duly vaccinated newborn is vaccinated for life. But the latest figures show that we are still very, very far from it.
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