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GENEVA (Reuters) – At least 922 children and young people have died from measles in Madagascar since October, despite a massive emergency vaccination program, the World Health Organization said Thursday. (WHO).
Katrina Kritsinger, WHO immunization program doctor, said at a press conference that the death toll was based on official figures, but that these numbers would likely be incomplete and the total number of cases would now be 66,000.
Measles is a highly contagious viral disease that can lead to complications such as blindness, swelling of the brain and increased susceptibility to other diseases.
Madagascar on the Indian Ocean is one of the poorest countries in Africa. In 2017, only 57% of the country's population had been vaccinated against measles. The absence of major epidemic since 2003 means that many have not developed immunity against the disease.
(Reuters)
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