Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), a.k.a Doctors without Borders has expressed deep worry over the increasing cases of Measles outbreak in many communities of Borno state even after treating about 9,618 patients, mostly children below the ages of five (5) years in the 2023.
It, however, lamented that as of 9th February 2024, Measles admissions to Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) facilities in Maiduguri, Northeast Nigeria kept increasing, a situation that calls for a rapid reinforcement of routine immunization campaigns.
This was disclosed in a press statement jointly signed by Georg Gassauer, Field Communications Manager and Alex Marcou, Field Communications Coordinator of the organization, which was emailed to our Correspondent in Maiduguri on Friday.
The statement reads “In 2023, MSF teams treated a total of 9,618 patients with measles in both of its healthcare facilities, Gwange Paediatric Hospital and Nilefa Kiji nutrition hospital; and in MSF-supported Primary Healthcare Centres (PHC) in Maiduguri.
“We did not expect such a large influx of patients, particularly at the end of the year, as explained by Abdulwahab Mohamed, MSF medical coordinator, referring to the 3,965 patients treated from October to December, which represent almost three times more than for the same period in 2022.
“Dr. Jombo Tochukwu-Okoli, MSF Medical Activity Manager at Gwange Paediatric Hospital, attributes this alarming rise in the number of cases to an inability of public health actors to achieve the 95% vaccination rate, required to suppress the outbreak.
“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.
“This is not the only difficulty to achieve a higher vaccination coverage. The interruption of routine childhood vaccination during the Covid-19 pandemic has disrupted the health systems thus having a negative impact on the implementation of routine immunisations campaigns.
“Technical complications also lead to interruptions in the cold chain making the vaccine defective.
“The measles spike coincides with an unprecedented diphtheria outbreak in Northern Nigeria and a longer-than-usual malaria season.
“The diphtheria outbreak, with 24,500 suspected cases and more than 600 deaths reported since it was officially declared in January 2023, is yet another strong indicator of the dramatic setback in routine immunisation programs and the lack of long-term efforts to increase vaccination coverage in the country.” The statement said.
Continuing further “In 2021, Maryam Umar’s son contracted measles. Aware of the danger the disease poses to young children, Maryam took the toddler to the MSF-run Gwange hospital in Maiduguri where he eventually died.
“Measles is one of the most contagious viral diseases in the world. Infecting the immune cells, the virus quickly spreads all over the body and eventually affects the respiratory system. This causes a cough that can spread the virus to others.
“One infected child can spread the virus to between 9 and 12 other unvaccinated children, as explained by Dr. Tochukwu-Okoli. Although there is currently no specific cure to treat measles, there are life-saving drugs that can keep patients stable and prevent complications.
“As the virus affects the immune system it can lead to serious complications long after measles is gone. This makes the virus deadly as it leaves a child open to other diseases, specifically diarrhoeal.
“Dr. Tochukwu-Okoli is worried about the significance of a measles spike in a context where malnutrition is so prevalent.
SOURCE: Vanguard
