Measles 'out of control' in DR. Congo: MSF

March 30, 2011

docId=CNG.46ed509ca7a9eeedf960f4296681ac80.501

(AFP) – 1 day ago

GENEVA — Medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF - Medecins Sans

Frontieres) warned on Monday that a measles epidemic in the Democratic Republic

of Congo was spiralling out of control.

MSF said that more than 21,000 people have been infected and 210 have died since

the outbreak was identified in September 2010, although it believes the death

toll may be higher.

" The measles epidemic is spiralling out of control " said Gael Hankenne, MSF head

of mission in Congo.

" Since September 2010 we have vaccinated more than 1.5 million children in

response to the crisis. But the disease is spreading like wildfire. "

Hankenne said the epidemic must be treated by the health community as " a

national priority. "

Apart from Congolese authorities, MSF criticised a lack of aid from UN

humanitarian agencies as measles spread from southern provinces northwards.

Florence Fermon, head of vaccinations at MSF, said she had sought several times

to alert the World Health Organisation (WHO) or UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) but

without success.

" In terms of operational aid on the ground, the WHO is not shifting, the

ministry has given us vaccines and some support but in an altogether

insufficient manner, " she said.

Fermon said the response needed to be scaled up.

" If the reaction of all those responsible is delayed, it will be impossible to

wipe out the measles outbreak in DR Congo, " she added.

Measles is a highly contagious viral respiratory infection that causes high

fever, skin rash, runny nose, watery eyes and cough, and mainly affects children

under the age of five.

It can lead to severe and sometimes deadly complications such as pneumonia and

malnutrition, especially among children who are already weakened.

Measles can kill one to 15 percent of children who contract the disease among

populations that have not been vaccinated, according to MSF.

The WHO last year adopted a plan to counter a resurgence in the disease in parts

of Africa, Europe and Asia.

The health agency and UNICEF also warned about the impact of epidemics in

several countries stretching across Africa in 2010.

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