Measles has claimed 1,200 lives in Madagascar

Madagascar has lost more than 1,200 people to what is the largest measles outbreak in its history.

The island nation is currently beset by an outbreak with more than 115,000 cases, many of them children according to an earlier report issued by the World Health Organization.

It was in September that the first cases of measles were reported in Madagascar, and the number of cases has continued rising.

“The epidemic unfortunately continues to expand in size, though at a slower pace than a month ago,” revealed Dr. Dossou Vincent Sodjinou, a WHO epidemiologist currently in Madagascar.

According to a WHO statement issued in January, children between 1 to 14 years accounted for 64% of all cases in the outbreak.

Part of the factor contributing to the perpetuation of the current outbreak is that malnutrition affects nearly half of all children under five in Madagascar (47%). According to the WHO, this is the highest proportion of children suffering from malnutrition in the African region.

Additionally, the rate of immunization remains low.

As of 2017, only 58% of Madagascans had received a measles immunization, yet a 95% coverage is required.

The measles vaccinations are being offered freely, but Madagascar is simultaneously contending with other challenges that may make achieving complete coverage hard.

Parts of the country have been affected by flooding, including that caused by Cyclone Idai, hampering movement.

Additionally, there are regions that are also dealing with an outbreak of plague, which is endemic to Madagascar.

Madagascar previous major outbreaks of measles were in 2003 and 2004, where more than 62,000 and 35,000 people respectively were affected.

Africa Global News Production