Zimbabwe: Measles cases

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Source: http://www.herald.co.zw/inside.aspx?sectid=11680&cat=1
Friday, October 23, 2009
Measles claim 4 children

HR.

Four children below the age of five died of measles in an outbreak suspected to have been triggered by unvaccinated children who recently came from South Africa.

Two deaths were recorded in Chegutu, while the other two were in Bubi district.
At least 20 cases of the highly contagious disease have been treated at health centres in the two districts.
Preliminary investigations of the cases show that all the children who died were from apostolic sects who do not vaccinate their children against the six child killer diseases, while an index study in both cases shows that the children recently came from South Africa.
Measles is a highly contagious disease caused by a virus affecting mostly children and the symptoms include red eyes, rash and cough among others. Health and Child Welfare Deputy Minister Douglas Mombeshora confirmed the outbreak, saying health officials moved in to vaccinate children in the affected areas. ? HR.

 

[Snowy Owl]

Re: Zimbabwe: Measles cases

Mugabe must give money to Health Care Providers, because they will take care of their family first if they do not get paid.

SO hear

 

[Shiloh]

Re: Zimbabwe: Measles cases

Source: http://www.zimonline.co.za/Article.aspx?ArticleId=5539

WHO announces Zim measles outbreak
by Sebastian Nyamhangambiri Saturday 19 December 2009


HARARE ? The World Health Organisation (WHO) on Friday announced an outbreak of measles in parts of Zimbabwe, a reminder of the fragile health and humanitarian situation in the southern African country that is striving to emerge from years of economic recession and political turmoil.

?We now have an outbreak of measles in Zimbabwe which has affected more than 340 cases so far and as WHO this is not acceptable and we are frustrated, as this is mainly because of people who have denied their children vaccination,? WHO head in Zimbabwe Custodia Mandlhate told journalists in Harare.

She said the affected areas included the districts of Bubi, Murambinda, Makoni, Chipinge, Chirumanzu, Zvishavane and Marondera.

The WHO official said the situation in Makoni in the east of the country was ?worrisome?, adding that her team was going to the areas with the intention of vaccinating children under five years to slow down the spread of the disease.

Most of the cases were among members of religious groups that shunned conventional medical treatment, while the heavy rains currently falling over the southern African country were also hampering efforts to distribute drugs and other medicines needed to curb measles.

The disclosure of the latest disease outbreak in Zimbabwe came as the WHO wrapped up a conference on immunisation in Harare which drew vaccination experts and health ministers from the region.

Opening the conference on Monday Zimbabwe?s Health Minister Henry Madzorera said the country?s health delivery system was still strained and in need of strengthening to be able to adequately deal with disease outbreaks after a devastating cholera epidemic that killed more than 4 000 people between August 2008 and July 2009.
CHOLERA PATIENTS . . . last year's cholera epidemic killed 4 288 Zimbabweans out of 98 592 infections

The cholera epidemic ? that the WHO labelled the worst in Africa in more than 15 years ? was only brought under control after international aid agencies moved in with medicines and health support staff to treat the disease.


Since October, cholera has re-emerged and there has been about 100 cases of infections and at least five lives claimed.

Zimbabwe?s power-sharing government between President Robert Mugabe and Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai has promised to rebuild the economy and restore basic services such as water supplies, health and education that had virtually collapsed after years of neglect and under-funding.

But the administration has found it hard to undertake any meaningful reconstruction work after failing to get financial support from rich Western nations that insist they want to see more political reforms before they can loosen the purse strings. ? ZimOnline.

 

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Re: Zimbabwe: Measles cases

Source: http://www.herald.co.zw/inside.aspx?sectid=13868&cat=1

22 children succumb to measles

By Paidamoyo Chipunza

Twenty-two people, mainly children below the age of five years, have died of measles in Makoni District of Manicaland Province since the beginning of this month.

The 22, according to health officials, had never been vaccinated.

The district has now started an immunisation campaign in the area.

The Ministry of Health and Child Welfare confirmed the deaths and immediately started a campaign targeted at children between nine months and 14 years of age.

Addressing a Press conference in Harare yesterday, Health and Child Welfare Minister Henry Madzorera said 90 people have since been confirmed to have been affected by the highly contagious viral respiratory infection countrywide, while those treated of suspected measles numbered over 350 over the last 12 months.

Of the positive cases, more than 50 percent are children below the age of five years while 95 percent of the cases had never been vaccinated before.

"This is an unwarranted loss of lives given the fact that measles is a preventable disease.

"In Zimbabwe, outbreaks of measles were rare because of sustained high vaccination coverage among all children. It is therefore important for parents to realise that vaccinating their children protects the individual children from disease and/or its complications," Dr Madzorera said.

Dr Madzorera urged parents to not only take their children for vaccination, but also to encourage other community members to vaccinate their children.

"The message therefore is vaccinating your child is not enough protection, encourage and ensure that other children around yours are also vaccinated," he said.

According to the Public Health Act, children are vaccinated from measles at nine months of age.

However, most mothers had become lax in getting their children immunised, while others cited religious beliefs.

Most members of apostolic sects are reluctant to immunise their children.

To date, 15 districts have been affected and these include Zvishavane, Harare, Buhera Bulawayo, Gokwe South, Makoni, Marondera, Bubi, Gutu, Insiza, Kwekwe, Makonde, Mutare, Chegutu and Chipinge.

Measles is considered an outbreak when there is a cluster of five or more suspected cases or where there are at least three confirmed positive cases in a district or health facility within a month.

Measles causes high fever, skin rash, running nose, watery eyes and a cough.

The disease mainly affects children under the age of five.

In unvaccinated children, measles can cause severe diarrhoea leading to dehydration, blindness to those with inadequate vitamin A, inflammation of the middle ear, brain damage, and even death due to pneumonia.

Worldwide, vaccination has led to the elimination of measles in the WHO region of America, while global measles mortality has decreased by 74 percent from 750 000 in 2000 to 197 000 deaths in 2007.

According to WHO, the cost of immunising a child is between US$20-US$40. However, in Zimbabwe and other developing countries immunisation is free at all public institutions.

Meanwhile, the Health Ministry has warned Zimbabweans to continue taking necessary precautions to prevent attacks of cholera, swine flu and measles.

"Even though there have been no new cholera cases reported for the past three weeks, we recommend that people continue taking the necessary precautions to prevent attacks of cholera," the minister said.

These precautions include washing hands with soap or ash before and after meals, eating hot food, boiling or chlorinating drinking water, washing fruits before eating and disposing waste appropriately.

 

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Re: Zimbabwe: Measles cases

Source: http://www.herald.co.zw/inside.aspx?sectid=14100&cat=1

Thursday, January 07, 2010
15 more measles cases reported

Health Reporter

FIFTEEN more cases of measles were recorded up to the end of last month, a majority of which involve children who were never immunised before.

According to the World Health Organisation weekly update for the period 21 to 27 December, a total of 24 cases were recorded from which 15 were proven to be positive.

This brings to 103 the total number of positive measles cases recorded so far after the previous week recorded 88.

Measles has so far claimed 22 lives in Manicaland province among the apostolic sect members, who for long have been shunning medical services citing religious beliefs.

The number of people reported with signs and symptoms of the disease but not positively identified under a laboratory investigation has also increased from 350 to 373 during the same period. The WHO further states that 88 of the positive children were immunised.

Most of them were in the nine months to 14 years age group while seven of them were not immunised as they were below the immunisable age of nine months.

Of all positive cases recorded so far, only seven were immunised before. To date, 18 districts out of 62, have reported measles outbreaks and these are: Bindura, Bubi, Buhera, Bulawayo, Chegutu, Chirumhanzu, Chipinge, Chitungwiza, Gokwe South, Gutu, Harare, Insiza, Kwekwe, Makoni, Makonde, Marondera, Mutare, and Zvishavane.

"Case based surveillance for measles continues in all districts and provinces. Immunisation of children aged between nine months and 14 years is taking place and cases treatment is done in the health facilities in areas affected by measles outbreaks," reads part of the WHO report.

Pressure has also mounted on Government to divert from a dialogue strategy they are using to convince leaders of the apostolic sect but push the church leaders to publicly announce over the pulpit that all their members should seek medical attention.

Measles causes high fever, skin rash, running nose, watery eyes and a cough.

 

[Shiloh]

Re: Zimbabwe: Measles cases

Source: http://www.eyewitnessnews.co.za/articleprog.aspx?id=30063

Zim police recruited in measles vaccination drive
Eyewitness News

Zimbabwe police have been co-opted to try to force a religious sect to have its children vaccinated against measles.

Members of an apostolic sect have been locking their sick children in huts or hiding them in the hills to evade vaccination.

The Health Ministry said at least 41 people have died of measles, many of them children, since the outbreak began last month.

Members of the Johannes Marange sect?s beliefs allow them only to pray and use holy water to treat measles.

Manicaland police have been roped in to accompany health officials in the door-to-door vaccination campaign.

Aid organisations stepped up efforts to fight the outbreak.

UNICEF said more than 14 000 children had been vaccinated against measles in the area in the last few weeks.

 

[Shiloh]

Re: Zimbabwe: Measles cases

Source: http://www.radiovop.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=7693&Itemid=755

Alarming Zimbabwe Measles Deaths

Harare, January 15, 2010 - The death toll of children belonging to members of the Johanne Apostolic Church members in Manicaland Zimbabwe has reached alarming proportions with 35 children dead so far as parents deny them treatment on religious grounds.

These deaths have occurred during the past month in Nyazura, Makoni District, east of Harare, and it is feared the figures could be higher and more could die as parents of this sect resist immunisation for their children.

The majority of the children affected are aged between 1-10 years.

Members of the Johanne Marange Apostolic Church, who dominate Nzvimbe area, are allegedly refusing to take treatment because they treat them with ?holy water?.

But health authorities have moved in and are forcing some church members to receive treatment.

At least 29 patients were forcefully taken and detained at the satellite clinic set up at Nzvimbe Primary School during the past week.

Human rights campaigners have called the government to evoke the Public Health Act to ensure apostolic sect members allow sick people to seek medical treatment.

?Children?s rights are being violated,? said Trust Maanda, a human rights lawyer. ?The government has a duty to protect children so it should make the parents submit to its programmes." Maanda spoke amid reports that the death toll could be much higher as church members were fast -tracking burials of victims who die at home.

"Since my birth in 1929, I have not seen such a catastrophe,? said a villager, Muchaona Bumhira. ?These people should be arrested for resisting treatment and putting the health of our children in danger.?

Bumhira added: ?These apostolic elements are a danger to our community because they are the conduits through which this dangerous measles disease is spreading.?

"The body count is rising while we engage in these academic debates,? Gift Phiri, a Harare based journalist wrote on Face Book early in the week. ?Another child is dying today and tomorrow because mapostori refuse to avert needless deaths because of their archaic religious beliefs. It?s like the 1994 slaughter in Rwanda, people hacking each other with machetes while technocrats and the United Nations debate what genocide is."

While Phiri may have over emphasized the tragedy in Zimbabwe?s Makoni District, by equating it to the genocide in Rwanda, in which close to a million people were massacred in cold blood, his point remains valid and cries out for urgent attention by the relevant authorities.

Leaders of the Johanne Marange Apostolic Church are reclusive and feared by loyal followers who believe they wield supernatural powers and are very close to God.

Measles is a highly communicable disease characterized by fever, general malaise, sneezing, nasal congestion, brassy cough, conjunctivitis, and a maculopapular eruption over the entire body which health experts say is caused by a virus called rubeola.

Its symptoms include drowsiness, loss of appetite, gradual elevation of temperature for the first two days, body rash on the inner cheek, high fever, recurrence rash appears (causing a swollen, mottled appearance) and coughing.

 

[Shiloh]

Re: Zimbabwe: Measles cases

Source: http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk/2010...stories/new-measles-outbreak-in-masvingo.html

New measles outbreak in masvingo
Written by Radio VOP
Wednesday, 20 January 2010 12:57

measles_3Bikita - Ten infants have died of measles in the past five days, health authorities here told Radio VOP on Wednesday. (Pictured: Child suffering from measles)

Provincial Medical Director (PMD), Dr Robert Mudyiradima said the 10 included mostly children from the Apostolic Sect religion who are against immunization. ?A suspected Measles outbreak has killed 10 people in the Murwira area in Bikita, about ten kilometers out of Nyika growth point. They are believed to belong to an Apostolic Sect,? Dr Mudyiradima said.
He said The Ministry of Health deployed a team of assessors Tuesday to try and contain the disease. The disease is suspected to have spread to children following a religious gathering by the apostolic sect members? days before. The measles outbreak comes hard on the heels of another one in Manicaland last December which claimed the lives of 22 infants.

 

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Re: Zimbabwe: Measles cases

Source: http://www.zimtelegraph.com/?p=5496

19 more die of measles in Zimbabwe

By GETRUDE GUMEDE
Published: January 20, 2010

ZIMBABWE ? HARARE ? Nineteen more children have died of measles in Makoni District in recent weeks prompting members of apostolic sects to go against their beliefs and accept immunisation.

This brings the death toll to 41 since November.

All children between the ages of nine months and 14 years must be immunised against measles.
Some apostolic sects have refused to get their children inoculated, citing a religious belief that they should not consult doctors.

However, the rising death toll has seen some of them having a change of heart and approaching Health Ministry officials so that their children are protected from the disease.

The news of the increasing death toll followed confirmation that one person died of cholera at Vere clinic in Kadoma this week while six others were treated for the disease in the town and in Seke.

According to the World Health Organisation, there are now 1 052 suspected measles cases across Zimbabwe of which 161 have been laboratory confirmed.

Of the confirmed cases, 81 percent were in the nine months to 14 years age group.

WHO said the majority of the cases were among children had never been immunised before and whose parents belonged to apostolic sects.

Most of the followers were reportedly hiding their children in hills so as to avoid confrontations with State health officials.

Some members have now started secretly bringing their kids for immunisation without the leadership?s knowledge.

Makoni District has recorded 24 deaths and 489 suspected measles cases since November.
Harare, Mutare and Zvishavane are among districts that also recorded high cases of measles outbreak though with fewer deaths.

Owing to the continued outbreak, Government is set to review the Child Health Days in an effort to immunise all children in the country against the seven child killer diseases.

?A meeting with various stakeholders is planned for next week to discuss the best strategies to contain the current measles outbreak,? reads part of WHO?s first 2010 bulletin.

Traditionally, children are immunised against measles at the age of nine months during routine immunisation programmes at clinics.

To cater for children who might have missed routine immunisations, Government introduced the Child Health Days where mobile clinics went around the country to carry out the inoculations.

Measles is a highly contagious disease, which causes high fever, skin rash, a running nose, watery eyes and a cough.

The disease mainly affects children under the age of five.-The Zimbabwe Telegraph

 

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Re: Zimbabwe: Measles cases

Source: http://allafrica.com/stories/201002100086.html

Zimbabwe: Measles Continues to Spread
Paidamoyo Chipunza
10 February 2010


Harare ? Measles continues to spread in Zimbabwe despite intensified efforts by Government and its partners to contain the outbreak which has affected over 1 200 people since October last year.

According to the latest weekly epidemiological bulletin produced by the Cholera Command and Control Centre (C4), between January 25 and 31, a total of 611 blood specimens had been received by the polio-measles laboratory of which 221 were confirmed to be measles.

These figures are an increase from the previous week's 459 blood specimens and 176 positive measles cases.

Latest information indicates that 72 percent of positive measles cases where above the routine immunisation age of nine to 12-month, and the majority of the positive cases were in the five to 14 years age group.

Seventeen percent of all positive cases were in the 14-year age group, 18 percent were in those aged one to five and 11 percent were in the nine to 12 age groups.

The district measles attack rates for the week ranged between 357 per 100 000 compared to 160 per 100 000 people the previous week.

The C4 is a national body formed at the height of the cholera outbreak last year to respond to emergencies and is co-chaired by officials from the Ministry of Health and the World Health Organisation.

It provides guidance to agencies on issues relating to

data collection, analysis and interpretation, and suggests operational strategies on the basis of epidemiological patterns.

According to the bulletin, the majority of the measles attacks were in people who had never been immunised before.

Since October 2009, 28 of Zimbabwe's 62 districts had at least one confirmed measles case.

These districts are: Bindura, Bikita, Bubi, Buhera, Bulawayo, Centenary, Chegutu, Chirumhanzu, Chipinge, Gokwe South, Goromonzi, Gutu, Harare (including Chitungwiza) Hwedza, Insiza , Kwekwe, Makoni, Makonde, Marondera, Masvingo, Mt. Darwin, Mutare, Nyanga , Umzingwane, Seke, Zaka, Zvimba and Zvishavane.

In response to the outbreak, Government said it might invoke provisions of the Public Health Act that empower the Minister of Health and Child Welfare to enforce immunisations.

This follows refusal by some people to take their children for immunisation, thereby putting other children around them at risk of being infected by highly contagious but preventable diseases.

However, Health Secretary Dr Gerald Gwinji said the Act needs amendment before the minister could invoke the necessary provisions.

"The Act needs amendment because it is not clear when a child is said to be of public health threat.

"It is vague whether the ministry can actually drag someone from his home saying he is a threat to the public when he is in his house or the provision applies only when a child is at school," Dr Gwinji said.

C4 and other health stakeholders recommended amendments to the act to address specific measles issues.

Worldwide, vaccination has led to the elimination of measles in the WHO region of America while global measles mortality has decreased by 74 percent from 750 000 in 2000 to 197 000 deaths in 2007.

According to WHO, the cost of immunising a child is between US$20 to US$40.

However, in Zimbabwe and other developing countries immunisation is free at all public institutions.

Meanwhile, the country has not recorded any new cases of Influenza AHIN1 and cholera in the past week.

C4 statistics indicate that Zimbabwe is now in its 11th week without a reported case of swine flu.

There have been no fresh cholera reports in the past four weeks.

Since the beginning of this year, 13 cases of anthrax were reported in Shurugwi (eight), Kadoma (three), Mwenezi (two), and Chikomba (one).

A suspected case in Seke is still under investigation.

According to C4, vaccination of cattle has since been undertaken in Seke and Mhondoro districts.

 

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Re: Zimbabwe: Measles cases

Source: http://www1.sundaymail.co.zw/inside.aspx?sectid=4846&cat=1

Taskforce to combat measles formed

Sunday Mail Reporter

CONCERNED by the continued spread of measles, which has now been reported in 30 of the country?s 62 districts and killed 50 children in the last three months, the Government has set up a taskforce to fight the highly contagious disease.

Officials told The Sunday Mail last week that the taskforce comprises representatives drawn from the Ministry of Health and Child Welfare, the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the United Nations Children?s Fund (Unicef).
They said the unit would consider ways of combating the disease before making recommendations to Government.
Uppermost on the taskforce?s agenda is a proposal to introduce new regulations that make it an offence for parents to deny their children vaccination against killer diseases.
The officials said amendments to the Public Health Act were imminent, adding that the taskforce would soon engage lawmakers on the need to safeguard children?s rights.
?The taskforce, which was set up last week, held a meeting in Harare on Thursday and key on its agenda is the need to guarantee children?s access to healthcare,? said an official.
?Moves are being made to amend the Public Health Act to incorporate provisions that make it a punishable offence to deny children healthcare.
?This will also see the taskforce involving politicians to ensure children?s rights are respected. Children are innocent and should be protected.?
The measles outbreak was first reported last October. According to the Ministry of Health and Child Welfare, the disease has so far spread across 30 districts with more than 1 390 suspected cases and 50 deaths being reported.
Manicaland accounts for almost 50 percent of the cases and is closely followed by Harare and Mashonaland East.
The most affected children are said to be those above five years of age while the most affected children belong to Apostolic sect members whose religion prohibits them from seeking medical treatment.
Health officials say resistance from the sects has contributed to the spread of the disease. They say the proposed regulations, which are expected to be modelled along those in operation in South Africa and Botswana where child immunisation is compulsory, would, however, help contain the situation.
So far, Government has, among other strategies, carried out mop-up campaigns, door-to-door vaccinations and also set up treatment camps in the affected areas.

 

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Re: Zimbabwe: Measles cases

Source: http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=88199


ZIMBABWE: Measles in nearly half of country's districts

HARARE, 22 February 2010 (IRIN) - A measles outbreak has hit 28 of Zimbabwe's 62 districts and is still spreading, but efforts to vaccinate people in some quarters is being hampered by religious convictions.

According to the latest World health Organisation (WHO) Epidemiological Bulletin, "Nearly 1,200 suspected cases were reported since the start of the outbreak in October 2009 ... 221 cases have been confirmed ... 50 community deaths have been reported."

The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) as well as other organizations in the health sector have embarked on an intensive vaccination programme. "The campaign is targeting all children between the ages of six months and 14 years," UNICEF's Zimbabwe spokesperson, Micaela Marques de Sousa, told IRIN. In eastern Zimbabwe, in the Buhera district of Manicaland Province alone, more than 25,000 children had been vaccinated against measles.

"We are also embarking on door to door campaigns to emphasize the importance of vaccinating children," she said, although the strategy is likely to meet with stiff resistance among those who refuse vaccinations based on their religious beliefs.

"While we as UNICEF respect the faith of the apostolic churches, we have also been engaging them to understand the value of vaccination. We have been engaging communities on the importance of protecting the rights of the children and to ensure that they access health services. Even children who have been vaccinated in the past are being revaccinated because of the exposure to the measles outbreak."

A large-scale measles outbreak has occurred among family members of the Johanne Marange Apostolic Church in the Nzvimbe area, about 70km from the city of Mutare, near the Mozambique border, according to local media reports. The church's elders do not allow vaccinations or permit followers to seek medical treatment, and prefer such measures as sprinkling holy water on the sick.

Religious convictions

The reports said 30 people belonging to the religious group, mainly children, had died from measles, although the number could be higher because of Vapostori ? the practice of "fast-tracking" burials.

A senior official in Zimbabwe's ministry of health and child welfare, who declined to be identified, told IRIN: "We are working overtime to come up with strategies to ensure that the measles outbreak is contained. In an environment where some parents do not avail health programmes to their children, it then becomes difficult to contain the outbreak.

"That is why we are also working on regulations which will make it an offence for parents or guardians to deny children vaccination against killer diseases," the official said.

WHO describes measles as a highly contagious viral disease affecting mostly children, which can be effectively prevented by immunization. In Zimbabwe, children receive a first vaccination against measles at the age of nine months and second inoculation at 18 months.

Symptoms usually appear about 8 to 12 days after infection and include high fever, bloodshot eyes, and tiny white spots on the inside of the mouth. A rash also develops, starting on the face and upper neck and gradually spreading over the body. Measles cause the deaths of hundreds of thousands of children in developing countries annually.



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Re: Zimbabwe: Measles cases

Source: http://www.herald.co.zw/inside.aspx?sectid=15992&cat=1

Measles death toll soars to 110

Health Reporter

ONE hundred and ten children have died of measles over the past six months with the Government battling to introduce legislation compelling everyone to vaccinate their children.

According to the latest epidemiological bulletin, 110 children have died across Zimbabwe from measles since September last year.

The disease has been prevalent in communities dominated by apostolic sects whose children have not been immunised because of their parents? religious beliefs.

According to the Public Health Act, the Minister of Health and Child Welfare is empowered to institute measures that protect everyone in an emergency, but he does not have powers to force people to access a service that protects them from being threats to public health.

The loopholes in the law were also identified during the cholera outbreak in 2008 as some members of the sect refused medical attention on religious grounds even though this exposed others in their community.

This prompted Government to amend the legislation so that the responsible minister has powers to institute measures that protect everyone in the event of a national disaster.

The Act, however, along with other health policies were still under review when a serious measles outbreak attacked the same sect, claiming more than 50 lives, mostly children.

The problem with measles is that the vaccine is not 100 percent effective. Normally this does not matter since even if a child does get measles, his playmates are almost certainly immune and the disease cannot spread.

But if there is a reservoir of unvaccinated children, then the disease can spread.

Acting director of epidemiological disease control in the Ministry of Health and Child Welfare Dr Portia Manangazira said the Government was analysing all policies within their confines to identify loopholes hindering them from reaching to every child in Zimbabwe, especially when people refuse treatment for religious reasons.

"We need to be supported by relevant legislation to empower our teams so that when we declare any outbreak, our teams should be able to get into the community without problems.

"We have a problem in that children coming for vaccination are the same children we always see whenever we have a campaign.

"So you find that some children are immunised more than the required times simply because others are denied that opportunity," she explained.

She said children who would have been immunised against measles are infected when they get into contact with people with the disease.

She said Government has set up a community-based strategy where a village health worker compiles a register of children in a village.

The register will have the ages of children and track their vaccination status at village level.

Dr Manangazira said structures have already been set up in some parts of Manicaland while training to capacitate some village health workers in other provinces is underway.

Makoni, Buhera, Chipinge and Chimanimani districts are compiling their children?s registers.

"With the help of rural leadership, the health worker will order all those in his register to vaccinate their children and seek other health interventions," she said.

She said the move to monitor children?s growth was mooted after it was discovered that children who died of measles were malnourished and their growth was not monitored.

"We will then compare records compiled at village level with the number of children we are seeing during our programmes to compare figures of those that have not been immunised," she said.

 

[Shiloh]

Re: Zimbabwe: Measles cases

Source: http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=125&art_id=vn20100301081701581C800722

Measles cases fill wards
March 01 2010 at 08:30AM
mobile at m.iol.co.za

Dozens of children remain in critical condition and the number of cases in the measles outbreak continues to grow.

Health officials opened a second isolation unit at Tygerberg Hospital on Friday as the ward at New Somerset Hospital approached capacity.

It is understood that by the weekend, 28 children had been admitted to the New Somerset Hospital and 18 to Tygerberg.

The two wards can accommodate 30 patients.

On Thursday the Western Cape Department of Health reported 422 confirmed cases of measles in the province.

This was, however, at odds with the records of the National Institute for Communicable Diseases, which said on February 12 that there had been 517 confirmed cases in the Western Cape.

The department has brought forward a planned immunisation campaign targeting known hot spots. - Staff Writer

 

[Shiloh]

Re: Zimbabwe: Measles cases

Source: http://www.zimdiaspora.com/index.ph...-avoid-immunisation&catid=73:music&Itemid=299

Apostolic church members flee homes to avoid immunisation
Monday, 01 March 2010 22:25

Hundreds of families who are members of different Apostolic sects whose children are suffering from measles following an outbreak in the two districts of Gokwe are reported to have gone into hiding with the children.

The Midlands Provincial Medical Director, Dr Anderson Chimusoro, who confirmed that parents and their children had deserted their homes, said health officials sent to the districts to try and contain the outbreak were failing to locate the infected children.

More than 40 children have so far died from measles in the two districts where more than 300 children are said to be suffering from the disease.

In an interview on Friday, Dr Chimusoro said the medical team that was conducting a door-to-door campaign to contain the disease was failing to locate the infected children because they had gone into hiding with their parents who do not want their children immunised or treated at clinics or hospitals.

?The majority of the affected children are from different members of Apostolic sects who are running away from their homes and those found at homes are refusing to have their children treated,? he said.

Dr Chimusoro said the medical teams, with the assistance of police officers, were making frantic efforts to track down the infected children.

He said the families that were running away were contributing to the spread of the disease.

?These families are making it difficult to contain the outbreak and we are appealing to the local leadership to assist us,? he said.

He said at times the teams with the assistance of police were resorting to using force to take the sick children to hospital.

 

[Pathfinder]

Re: Zimbabwe: Measles cases

Zimbabwe: outbreak of measles hits half country

Wed, Mar 10, 2010

An outbreak of measles has hit 28 of the 62 districts of Zimbabwe and is still spreading. The illness is more serious in a population where many are suffering from malnutrition, HIV and other conditions. According to the latest Epidemiological Bulletin of the World Health Organization (WHO), since the beginning of the epidemic in October 2009, there have been about 1,200 suspected cases, 221 confirmed and 50 resulting in death.

UNICEF, together with other organizations involved in the health sector, has undertaken an intensive vaccination program. The campaign aims at all children aged six months to 14 years. In the eastern part of Zimbabwe, in the District of Buhera in the Manicaland Province alone, more than 25,000 children are already vaccinated. Now the organization is engaged in a door to door campaign, to highlight the importance of vaccination of children, although the strategy also finds resistance among those who refuse the vaccine because of religious beliefs.
...

Full text at:
http://greatindaba.com/issue/march-2010-vol-7/article/zimbabwe-outbreak-of-measles-hits-half-country

 

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Re: Zimbabwe: Measles cases

Source: http://www.afriquejet.com/news/africa-news/health:-measles-kill-180-in-zimbabwe-2010032346403.html


Health: Measles kill 180 in Zimbabwe
News - Africa news

Health authorities in Zimbabwe said Tuesday a raging measles outbreak in the country had killed 183 people, mainly children under five who are not vaccinated.

The disease broke out a few months ago, and was mainly confined to families of some religious groups whose followers refuse conventional medical treatment.

Health authorities said the disease had since spread to more areas, and appeared to be getting out of control.

In total, 1,843 people had been affected countrywide, and 183 deaths recorded.

Authorities have launched a massive campaign to vaccinate children under five in areas where the disease has been reported, but the effort appeared doomed due to dodging by members of the religious groups opposed to conventional medical treatment.

Harare - Pana 23/03/2010

 

[Shiloh]

Re: Zimbabwe: Measles cases

Source: http://www.timeslive.co.za/local/article379166.ece/Zimbabwe-appeals-for-funding-to-fight-measles

Zimbabwe appeals for funding to fight measles
Mar 29, 2010 7:39 PM | By Sapa

The Zimbabwean government and UN officials have issued an international appeal for funds to help contain an outbreak of measles that has killed at least 183 people - mainly unvaccinated children under the age of 5.


Dr. Peter Salama, the UNICEF director in Zimbabwe, told journalists in Harare late Monday that the outbreak was “symbolic” of the weakened health system in the poverty-stricken nation.

“It is true that measles in Zimbabwe is now out of control, given that it is now in all parts of the country,” he said. “We can now say all children (in Zimbabwe) are at the risk to die of measles...”

Source: http://www.zimonline.co.za/Article.aspx?ArticleId=5886

Measles outbreak out of control: Harare, UN
by Sebastian Nyamhangambiri Tuesday 30 March 2010


HARARE – United Nations agencies and the Zimbabwe government on Monday appealed for more than US$8 million to combat a measles outbreak they said has “reached crisis proportion” and was spinning out of control.

“It is true that measles in Zimbabwe is now out of control given that it is now in all parts of the country,” UNICEF director in Zimbabwe Peter Salama told journalists in Harare yesterday.

“We can now say all children (in Zimbabwe) are at risk to die of measles . . . this is symbolic of the breakdown of the (health) infrastructure in Zimbabwe. This is similar to what happened during the outbreak of cholera in 2008,” Salama said – words that should remind Zimbabwe’s ruling coalition to stop bickering and focus on rebuilding the country’s health sector and economy.

Health Minister Henry Madzorera said the $8.4 million that the government was asking for would be used to immunisation programmes to contain the outbreak that has to date claimed at least 183 people, mainly children under five and many who had never been vaccinated...

 

[Shiloh]

Re: Zimbabwe: Measles cases

Source: http://www.zimonline.co.za/Article.aspx?ArticleId=5946

WHO says Zim measles outbreak spreading
by Own Correspondent Friday 16 April 2010


HARARE ? The World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Zimbabwe government have said a measles outbreak first announced last September has now spread to 48 districts in the country, in a country where the public health system remains fragile after years of economic recession and political turmoil.

According to the joint report by the WHO and Zimbabwe?s Health Ministry released on Wednesday, so far more than 200 people have died with most of the cases among members of religious groups that shunned conventional medical treatment.

"The number of districts with suspected measles outbreaks has risen by 9 to 48 districts," the report said, adding; ?3 285 suspected cases and 200 deaths, of which 192 were community deaths were reported since the start of the outbreak in September 2009,? the report said...

 

[Shiloh]

Re: Zimbabwe: Measles cases

Source: http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/db900SID/MUMA-84W3R8?OpenDocument

Zimbabwe: Measles and cholera cases a headache in Buhera

Source: The Zimbabwean


Date: 26 Apr 2010


BUHERA - Buhera has seen 12 measles deaths in the past two weeks and more than 60 cases of cholera recorded in the area.

About 36 villagers were treated for cholera at Murambinda Hospital and discharged while two more cases of the deadly cholera disease were detected in Chipinge and Chimanimani, respectively. Six children died in the Dekeya area under Chief Nyashanu. They were understood to have been buried secretly by their parents, who belong to the Johane Marange Apostolic Sect, which shuns modern health treatment. The sect believes in using prayer and water to heal the sick. In Makoni and Buhera, religious and cultural radicalism continue militating against emergency health interventions meant to combat the viral measles disease, whose symptoms include drowsiness, coughing, loss of appetite, gradual elevation of temperature, body rash on the inner cheek, high fever and recurrence rash...