Measles outbreak calls for hundreds of deaths in Congo

Heavy measles epidemic in Congo with over 400 fatalities
The current measles outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has already claimed 428 casualties and has infected more than 30,000 people, according to a joint statement from the World Health Organization (WHO) African Regional Office and the UNICEF Children's Fund. Mainly affected is Katanga Province, where 28,077 infections and 413 deaths were reported.

According to the WHO, the current measles epidemic in the Congo shows an unusually high death rate (1.47 percent), well above the one-percent "emergency threshold". Also, the spread of infections is alarming. Between May and September 2015, the number of people infected doubled. The current outbreak is the result of the low immunization rate. This has promoted the rapid spread of the highly contagious viral disease, which is one of the leading causes of death in infants worldwide.

More than 30,000 people have already become infected with measles in the Congo during the current epidemic. (Image: pit24 / fotolia.com)

Epidemic must be stopped quickly
"It's critical to quickly stop this epidemic and save lives through better management, quality monitoring and strengthening of routine immunization," Dr. Deodorant Nshimirimana from the WHO. All actors should step up their efforts to combat the epidemic. In the longer term it is imperative to ensure that every child has the right to a free measles vaccine. Although the United Nations had earmarked $ 2.4 million to support the fight against measles in the Congo by August, more than 10,000 infections and more than a hundred deaths have since been added. (Fp)