At least 700 children have died following a measles outbreak that has been ravaging the landlocked southern African country of Zimbabwe since April this year.
“As of September 4, 2022, Zimbabwe had 6,291 confirmed cases, 4,459 recoveries, and 698 deaths,” Health Ministry twitted on Monday.
The ministry said 37 of the deaths occurred on a single day on Sept. 1. The health ministry said it had recorded 6,291 cases by Sept. 4.
The latest figures are more than four times the number of deaths announced about two weeks ago when the ministry said 157 children, most of whom were unvaccinated due to their family’s religious beliefs, had succumbed to the disease.
UNICEF mentioned that it is deeply concerned with the number of cases and deaths among children due to measles. The agency said it is assisting the government to combat the outbreak through immunization programs.
According to the Minister of Information Monica Mutsvangwa, many of the deaths have been of children who were not vaccinated.
There for the government has embarked on a mass vaccination campaign targeting children aged between 6 months and 15 years old and is engaging traditional and faith leaders to support the drive.
Meanwhile, the World Health Organization in April warned of an increase in measles in vulnerable countries as a result of a disruption of services due to COVID-19. In July, the United Nations children’s agency, UNICEF, said about 25 million children worldwide have missed out on routine immunizations against common childhood diseases, calling it a “red alert” for child health.
