The ManicaPost
Samuel Kadungure
Senior Reporter
THE measles outbreak which has recorded over 6 500 cases and 704 deaths across the country was triggered by the backsliding on childhood vaccination activities due to the lockdown measures that were meant to curtail the spread of Covid-19-related cases and deaths, The Manica Post has established.
Manicaland so far recorded about 3 010 cases and 347 deaths, mostly in Mutasa District, and of these 507 were vaccinated, 1 982 unvaccinated and 527 unknown.
About 1 574 children were treated and discharged, while 1 089 were still admitted across the province.
Ministry of Health and Child Care’s National Public Relations and Protocol Manager, Mr Donald Mujiri yesterday (Thursday), said Government had deployed adequate mobile teams to vaccinate children between six months and five years.
Mr Mujiri admitted that when the Covid-19 pandemic was declared in March 2020, Government in line with the World Health Organisation (WHO) protocols set stringent interventions primarily focused on limiting Covid-19-related cases and deaths.
This, Mr Mujiri said, led to the disruption of immunisation activities, increased malnutrition due to the effects of the pandemic on food supplies for impoverished children and interruption of Vitamin A supplementation.
Measles is caused by a highly contagious virus that spreads from person to person via airborne transmission, including breathing, coughing and sneezing.
Among other symptoms, infected persons exude rash, high fever, cough, and runny rose, irritated red and watery eyes.
It can lead to serious health complications like pneumonia and even death.
Though highly preventable through vaccination, the emergence of Covid-19 shifted attention from standard healthcare leading to the disruption of routine immunisation plans and campaigns for infectious diseases, resulting in the current post-pandemic measles catastrophe, which now requires urgent intervention to counter and reverse.
“The campaign activity is targeting all children aged between six months and five years. Yes, we have deployed adequate mobile teams on the ground, including in Mutasa in Manicaland which has recorded the highest number of cases and deaths. The immunisation blitz is targeting a population of 2 130 088,” said Mr Mujiri.
Mr Mujiri said though Manicaland had become a flash point of the post-pandemic measles outbreak, its health systems has the capacity to reach out to all susceptible children and communities.
“There is a symbiotic relationship between the current measles outbreak and the Covid-19 pandemic. During the Covid-19 national lockdown there was constrained movement such that some people were not able to go to clinics,” said Mr Mujiri.
Local health experts interviewed this week said most unimmunised children who are susceptible to measles were from families that abhor health-seeking behaviour, either for religious or cultural reasons or live in poor and remote communities.
They said Government and health stakeholders should address vaccine hesitancy via implementing an inclusive community engagement strategy that involve accurate information on vaccination, debunking religious and cultural myths towards vaccines and integrating a vaccination framework with the help of cultural, religious and community leaders.
There is also need, they said, to adopt a framework where community health workers integrate local languages to disseminate information and risk communication to improve community knowledge on vaccines and improve confidence in the ongoing vaccination blitz.
“There was diversion of attention from normal healthcare standards to Covid-19 pandemic. Covid-19 information was shared on social media platforms which the most affected population lacked access to and relied on hearsays from those who had access to the platforms.
“Some people were not aware that routine immunisations were still being conducted during the Covid-19 era. Manicaland provided a unique scenario given that the largest numbers of apostolic churches devotees reside in the province. Most of their religious beliefs do not allow them to have their children immunised,” said a nurse.
A research paper titled (2021) – Measles: The long walk to elimination drawn out by Covid-19 noted that national lockdowns, closing borders and halting mass gatherings derailed the progress of various programmes, including immunisation campaigns, which have proven to be a valuable and cost-effective public health intervention.
“The Covid-19 pandemic has also worsened the implementation of immunisation campaigns. We are likely to see increasing numbers of unimmunised children susceptible to measles and increasing numbers of measles case fatality ratios that create an environment for measles to return in 2021 (onwards).
“These potential measles outbreaks will take us back to decades ago with increased mortality and serious consequences of measles. To prepare for the post-Covidd-19 era and to move towards measles elimination, there are five actions that need to be taken by countries and the international community,” it reads.
These measures include advocacy, taping innovative and home-grown solutions to prevent measles, reach unimmunised children through catch-up vaccination schedules and campaigns, supplementary immunisation activities; prepare for the outbreaks using lessons learnt from ongoing pandemics and not lose sight of measles and rubella elimination targets and implement the new Measles and Rubella Strategic Framework 2021–30.
