AT least 10 children have been reported dead due to a suspected measles outbreak in the Damangaza area of Lokogoma, Abuja.
According to a report, the head of the Damangaza community, James Budebo, disclosed this on Friday, July 12, during an outreach in the community.
The outreach was organised by a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) Vaccine Network for Disease Control (VNDC) and the Damangaza Primary Healthcare Centre.
Emphasising the need for vaccination against measles, Budebo decried vaccine hesitancy, which he said was prevalent in the community.
A health worker in the community PHC, Longtang Shawen, also disclosed that limited healthcare access was worsening the outbreak, and further urged residents to vaccinate their children.
Measles is one of the prevalent diseases in Nigeria.
In April 2024, 19 children died of a suspected measles outbreak in Mubi, Adamawa.
The commissioner for health in the state, Felix Tangwami, said over 200 children were also infected with measles at the time.
Like residents of Damangaza, Tangwami also said parents in Mubi failed to vaccinate and immunise their children against the disease.
Measles is one of the most contagious diseases in the world, and it spreads when infected persons breathe, cough or sneeze. The virus remains active and contagious in the air or on infected surfaces for as long as two hours, according to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
In May 2024, UNICEF raised concerns about the global rise in the spread of measles.
“An increase in measles cases is a clear sign of a breakdown in immunisation coverage. As cases of measles continue to surge, we need urgent government action to both strengthen health systems and implement effective public health measures to secure protection for all children from this dangerous but preventable disease,” UNICEF Regional Director for Europe and Central Asia, Regina De Dominicis said.
UNICEF also warned that the current situation portends a similar or worse situation than in 2023 when over 300,000 measles cases were recorded globally.
Ijeoma Opara is a journalist with The ICIR. Reach her via vopara@icirnigeria.org or @ije_le on Twitter.