SOUTH AFRICA – The National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) has declared a measles outbreak in the North-West and Gauteng after both provinces reported three cases separately.

In North-West, the three cases were detected in the Ngaka Modiri Molema District, while in Gauteng they were reported at a single health facility in Ekurhuleni District.

SA Government News reported that the provincial department said the specimens were collected at Lonely Park Clinic in Mahikeng sub-district on 2 December and tracing is underway for patients who live in Signal Hill.

So far, the vaccination coverage is 79.4% for those who received the first dose and 82.3% for those who received their second shot.

“The vaccine is usually given when children are six months and 12 months old, but you can get the vaccine at any age,” the department said.

Meanwhile, Limpopo and Mpumalanga declared a measles outbreak after receiving reports of 99 laboratory-confirmed cases between September 1 and November 30, 2022, this is according to the most recent NICD data.

There were 22 instances of measles in Mpumalanga and 77 cases of the disease in Limpopo. Greater Sekhukhune, Mopani, and Waterberg districts in Limpopo are the most severely impacted.

Increased laboratory-confirmed measles infections have been reported in Mpumalanga’s Elukwatini region of the Gert Sibande District.

Patients with measles ranged from three months to 42-years-old in Limpopo, whereas it was four months to 13-years-old in Mpumalanga.

The most affected age group is the five to nine years age group in Mpumalanga, and one to four years in Limpopo.

Somalia Measles Vaccination

The World Health Organization (WHO) in collaboration with the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said that 2.61 million children in Somalia have been vaccinated against measles and polio.

The UN agencies said the nationwide integrated immunization campaign which was rolled out in November amid severe drought targeted children under five years to save them from vaccine-preventable diseases like measles and polio.

Mamunur Rahman Malik, WHO Representative for Somalia said the UN health agency is employing all its available resources and innovative approaches such as integrated campaigns, solarization of health facilities to maintain vaccine cold chain, and engaging local communities to save the lives of millions of Somali children who deserve bright and healthier lives.

According to the UN, a complex humanitarian crisis caused by conflicts, protracted drought, and emanating displacements of populations in Somalia has put more than 3.6 million children under five years at risk as their immunities are running dangerously low and vulnerabilities are on the rise with every passing day.

WHO said the latest integrated campaign managed to immunize 2.61 million under-five children (0-59 months) with the trivalent oral polio vaccine (tOPV).

It said the campaign also helped to vaccinate 2.31 million children aged between 6 to 59 months against measles, and administered Vitamin A and deworming tablets to about two million children under five years.

A total of 15,143 cases of measles, four cases of cVDPV2 in humans, among others, have been reported from January to October, according to the WHO.

Somalia is currently facing one of the most severe droughts in its history, with a looming famine and the possibility of severe loss of life due to hunger, malnutrition, and disease.

Currently, the UN said that 7.8 million people are affected and 1.1 million are displaced — on top of 2.5 million who were already displaced — as they are in search of food, water, shelter, healthcare, and any assistance available.

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