Mozambique: Health department launches campaign against measles, disease spreads

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Mozambique: Health department launches campaign against measles, disease spreads

8:58 CAT | 31 Jul 2023

Photo: MISAU

ozambique has recorded more than 2,500 cases of measles in the last 30 months, leading the country to carry out a vaccination campaign from Monday “to prevent a new outbreak of the disease,” the minister of health said on Friday.

“The identification of measles and rubella cases is a concern because it is a highly contagious disease,” said Minister Armindo Tiago, speaking today in Chimoio, in the centre of the country, during the launch of the measles-rubella vaccination campaign, the reinforcement of vitamin A supplementation and deworming with Albendazole.

From January 2020 to June 2023, the country registered 2,565 cases of measles, 80% of which were reported in the provinces of Niassa (north) and Zambézia, Tete, Manica and Sofala (centre), affecting mainly children under 5 years old, said the minister.

He stressed that the vaccination of all children aged 9 to 59 months, taking place between 31 July and 04 August, “is the most effective public health measure to cut virus transmission”.

Disruptions related to the combined effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the emergence of other public health emergencies, Armindo Tiago continued, have put pressure on vaccination services and the provision of other prevention packages, including deworming, which has increased the risks of large measles outbreaks.

Because measles is highly contagious, cases tend to appear quickly when immunisation levels drop, he warned.

“This intervention aims to respond to the measles and rubella outbreak by vaccinating all children in the recognised age group and increasing vitamin A and Albendazole coverage,” Armindo Tiago said.

The campaign plans to cover 4.8 million children with measles and rubella vaccines, as well as vitamin A supplements to 931,000 and deworming to another 729,000 children.

Severin Xilander, from the World Health Organisation (WHO), acknowledged that measles and rubella are the most common causes of birth defects in the country, arguing that vaccination can prevent outbreaks in communities.

“Measles and rubella are a global priority to eliminate, with vaccination being a key public health strategy,” said Severin Xilander, noting that the coverage of fully vaccinated children in the country is only 66% since 2015.

Mozambique last carried out a national measles and rubella vaccination campaign between April and May 2018, vaccinating around 13 million children, which resulted in a significant reduction of cases in the most affected provinces.

Source: Lusa