Anambra: 14 Children Die Of Measles
Following the recent outbreak of measles in 9 Anambra State local councils, the State Government has confirmed the death of 14 children.
Yesterday, Dr. Afam Obidike, the state Commissioner for Health, revealed this in Awka, during a Post Measles Outbreak Response news conference in collaboration with the state Primary Healthcare Development Agency, further adding that the state had recorded 414 cases.
On the 4th of March, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), had registered the outbreak of measles in eight states of the federation, which were: Jigawa, Anambra, Katsina, Rivers, Enugu, Delta, Osun and Sokoto, from which 908 suspected cases had been reported so far.
Dr. Obidike stated that the nine councils that were affected included: Anambra East, Anambra West, Ayamelum, Ihiala, Idemili North, Nnewi North, Onitsha North, Njikoka, and Oyi. He further recalled that the NCDC had alerted the state of the measles outbreak in the nine local councils in March and added that they had contacted both the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), to assist in preventing a further spread of the disease.
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“The disease spread from nine to 13 local councils, but with the help of WHO, we swung into action, activated surveillance and dispatched our emergency response team in the affected councils and wards. Unfortunately, we recorded case fatalities. We lost about 14 children to the measles outbreak out of 414 cases we had. It is something we need to be mindful of because the case fatality is high, about 48 per cent.”
Dr. Obidike had also disclosed that a total of 19,609 children from age zero to 59 months, who had not been vaccinated in the last six months, were vaccinated, maintaining that the surrounding communities of the 9 local councils had also been vaccinated to prevent the spread of the disease.
According to him, some of the major reasons for the outbreak in the affected areas were: COVID-19, people living in clusters, poor environmental hygiene practices and poor uptake of vaccine. He also stated that the ministry has contacted the ministries of Environment, Power and Water Resources to improve the environmental hygiene and water supply in those affected areas and addes that they would also intensify thesocial mobilisation in order to encourage the residents to receive vaccination.
During at the event, Dr. Chioma Ezenyimulu, the Executive Secretary, Anambra State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, had disclosed that plans were underway to commence a standalone measles vaccination campaign, that would cover all the 21 councils of Anambra state.
