Ten children have died due to a suspected measles outbreak in Damangaza community in Lokogoma District, Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.
James Budebo, head of Damangaza community, disclosed this during a one-day outreach programme on Friday in Abuja.
The programme was organised by PHC Damangaza and the Vaccine Network for Disease Control (VNDC), a grassroots organisation dedicated to health interventions in marginalised communities.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that measles is a highly contagious viral infection characterized by fever, cough, runny nose, red eyes and a distinctive rash.
It can cause serious complications, including pneumonia and encephalitis, especially in young children and those with weak immune systems.
Mr Budebo said vaccination was important to prevent measles and its complications, hence the need for widespread immunisation to protect the community.
He said the recent deaths were due to the suspected measles outbreak, adding that there have been challenges with vaccine acceptance within the community.
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Chika Offor, executive director of VNDC, said the one-day outreach programme was crucial to the health crisis in Damangaza.
Chika Offor PHOTO CREDIT: Global Health Promotion Incubator
He said the goal was to provide immediate assistance and lay the foundation for long-term community resilience.
Ms Offor said efforts were underway to promote vaccine accessibility and provide clear and accurate information to address community concerns and misconceptions.
She said measles deaths were preventable and added that the organization was committed to supporting community dialogue on vaccination and public health measures.
Longtang Shawen, a health worker at PHC, Damangaza, said the outbreak exacerbated the community's current challenges with limited access to healthcare.
He said education was important to empower the community about vaccine-preventable diseases, sanitation and hygiene.
Ms Shawen said vaccination was critical to preventing measles outbreaks, protecting individuals and ensuring community-wide immunity.
He urged community residents to accept vaccines to protect themselves from preventable diseases and protect vulnerable populations.
Bello Musa, director of Damangaza Hausawa, said the Department of Public Health, FCT, had been notified of the situation, with previous visits made two weeks ago.
In response, Teresa Nwachukwu, an epidemiologist at the FCT, said in an interview that she would investigate the current situation.
NAN recalls that data from the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) revealed that Abia, Anambra, Jigawa, Edo, Lagos and Bauchi accounted for a significant portion of reported measles cases up to December 2023.
National Center for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) [PHOTO CREDIT: X https://x.com/NCDCgov/media]As of December 2023, specific states such as Abia (46), Anambra (23), Jigawa (21), Edo (18), Lagos (17) and Bauchi (14) together accounted for 64.6 per cent of the 215 reported suspected measles cases.
Of these, 33 cases (15.4 percent) were confirmed, with no clinically compatible cases, while 43 cases (20 percent) were ruled out and 139 cases (64.6 percent) were pending classification.
Between January and December 2023, the main contributors to the 19,470 suspected measles cases were Borno (7,635), Yobe (1,325), Ogun (611) and Zamfara (601). Lagos also had a significant incidence, with 563 cases, representing 52.2 percent of the total.
Of these suspected cases, 11,433 (58.72 percent) were confirmed, including 1,861 laboratory-confirmed cases, 3,120 epi-linked cases and 6,452 clinically compatible cases.
The 9-59 month age group accounted for 7,317 (64 percent) of all confirmed cases.
A total of 89 deaths (CFR = 1.1 percent) were reported among confirmed cases, of which 8,380 (73 percent) were persons who had not received any measles vaccine (“zero dose”).
“As of 31st December 2023, outbreaks were reported in eight local government areas across seven states, bringing the cumulative number of affected local government areas to 184 across 35 states during the year, with only FCT and Osun states reporting no confirmed measles outbreaks,” he said.
NAN also reports that NCDC data underscores the need for vaccination campaigns and public health interventions to curb measles outbreaks across Nigeria.
(YAYA)