Far North: Measles attacks 12 districts

Out of the 30 health districts that make up the Far North region, 12 have been declared under the threat of the measles epidemic in 2015. A worrying situation for health officials.

"We would like to respond adequately in the 12 health districts, but given very limited means, we are stuck in two health districts because UNICEF has nevertheless supported funding for two health districts" entrusted Danbe Flaubert, head of the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) in the Regional Delegation of Public Health of the Far North.

The two targeted health districts are Mora in the Mayo-Sava department and Bourha in Mayo-Tsanaga department. The campaign against measles will be held from 14 to 18 October that is to say, a few days before the national campaign that will spread from 27 October to 1 November.

People in contact with unvaccinated Nigerian refugees are more vulnerable to this epidemic. According to the assertions of Danbe Flaubert, in the Minawao camp of refugees, 30 cases of measles were detected. The information has been sent last Friday on the sidelines of the evaluation meeting of the vaccination campaign against polio which lasted from 25 to 27 September 2015.

And in terms of this campaign where nearly 1.4 million children were targeted, the head of the Far North Expanded Programme on Immunization says the preliminary results are encouraging. In some health districts, over 105% of children have been vaccinated, he said.