State Govt Raises Red Alert After Measles Claims 42 Lives

A state government has declared a red alert after measles attack led to the death of 42 persons.

The toll was recorded in 15 wards and there are fears the casualty figures might rise if precautionary measures are not taken.

The measles attack was recorded in Mubi and Gombi local government areas of Adamawa State.

Commissioner of Health and Human Services, Chief Felix Tangwame, who gave the figures while briefing newsmen said the figures were recorded in 8 wards in Mubi and 7 wards in Gombi local government areas of the state

He said these shortly after the state executive council meeting held on Friday.in the state.

“The outbreak was recorded in 8 wards in Mubi and 7 wards in Gombi local government areas of the state, with a death toll of 42 out of 131 and 177, respectively, of the affected persons.”.

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According to Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) measles attack in Maiduguri, Borno State spiked between October and December 2023, reaching record hihgs.

It said this was despite vaccination efforts, whereby MSF teams treated a total of 9,618 patients with measles in both of its healthcare facilities.

The health facilities are located in Gwange Paediatric Hospital and Nilefa Kiji nutrition hospital, and  MSF-supported primary healthcare (PHC) centres in Maiduguri.

Reliefweb quotes Dr. Jombo Tochukwu-Okoli, MSF Medical Activity Manager at Gwange Paediatric Hospital, as attributing this alarming rise in the number of cases to an inability of public health actors “to achieve the 95% vaccination rate, required to suppress measles”.

“This is notably due to the difficulties for the health workers in accessing rural communities surrounding Maiduguri”, Dr. Tochukwu-Okoli continues, as the insecurity has made vaccination campaigns a difficult endeavour.

The Centre for Diseases Control (CDC) describes measles as an acute viral respiratory illness, characterized by a prodrome of fever (as high as 105°F) and malaise, cough, coryza, and conjunctivitis -the three “C”s -, a pathognomonic enanthema (Koplik spots) followed by a maculopapular rash.

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“The rash usually appears about 14 days after a person is exposed. The rash spreads from the head to the trunk to the lower extremities. Patients are considered to be contagious from 4 days before to 4 days after the rash appears”.