CONGO – Over 800,000 children are targeted for vaccination in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), after a measles outbreak killed more than 3,500 people this year.
The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Congolese government aim to carry out the emergency program across the country.
The WHO said the epidemic is the world’s largest and fastest-moving.
“As of Sept. 17, a total of 183,837 suspected measles cases (5,989 confirmed) had been reported in 192 of the 519 health zones nationwide, including 3,667 deaths – which exceed the number of deaths due to Ebola. Nearly all the deaths have been children,” the WHO added.
In the country’s east, Ebola has claimed more than 2,100 lives since erupting in August last year.
Measles is a highly infectious viral illness that can sometimes lead to serious health complications, including infections of the lungs and brain.(BBC)
