Deadly Measles Outbreak in DR Congo

‘We are facing the biggest measles outbreak that we’ve seen in more than ten years in the Congo’, Karen Janssen, Head of Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo for Medecins Sans Frontieres.

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Mr. Janssen in an interview with Newsday’s Alan Kasuja admitted that more than 2,700 deaths have occurred between January and early August, killing more people in seven months than Ebola in one year. He said the plan put together to tackle the epidemic involves money worth about 8million Euros, an amount which does not compare to the gargantuan amount of more than 100million Euros put towards the treatment of Ebola.

He also stated that 23 of the 26 provinces in DR Congo have been affected. When asked how he and his team were going to produce the money for the treatment, Mr. Janssen said that they were working alongside the Government of Congo, but there was less attention given to the measles epidemic. He also stated that the Government of Congo lacked the means: there was lack of proper surveillance systems, lack of logistic means, lack of routine vaccinations and lack of vaccines.

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Source: africacelebrities.com