Measles continues to ravage isles as 262 contract disease

The Zanzibar Health ministry is grappling with an escalating outbreak of measles which has so far affected 262 children, up from 70 last month.

The minister for Health Mr Juma Duni Haji told a press conference here yesterday that the outbreak first reported in July this year was worsening because parents were neglecting to take their children for vaccination. Mr Duni said children with measles have been recorded in both Unguja and Pemba islands.

He asked parents, the media and religious leaders to join forces against the disease. He mentioned the worst affected villages as Mwera, Kinuni, Magogoni, and Pangawe, adding that an immunisation exercise was going on daily between Monday and Friday to contain the outbreak.

The minister said that in efforts to control the disease, “we have launched an awareness campaign, particularly about the importance of vaccination, and formed a task force. Fortunately we have support from the World Health Organisation (WHO) and Unicef.”

Zanzibar had managed to control measles for the past five years, but the minister said unvaccinated children were the cause of the current outbreak. He asked parents to make sure their children were vaccinated.

According to WHO, Measles is a viral infection which is spread from person to person. Its symptoms include fever, cough, a typical rash, swollen glands, red eyes and loss of appetite.

Symptoms can last for up to 10 days in children and longer in adults.


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