Liberia‘s Health Ministry has confirmed a measles outbreak that has spread to 14 of the country’s 15 counties.
Francis Kateh, the Chief Medical Officer, said there had been reports of deaths in the aftermath of the outbreak, but he couldn’t say if they were all measles-related.
During a radio appearance, he blamed the outbreak on low immunisation rates.
Low immunisation rates, he said on a radio interview, were to blame for the outbreak.
Since the advent of the Covid-19 epidemic, he noted that many parents have stopped vaccinating their children.
Measles is an ongoing menace affecting millions around the world. In Africa, health officials in the countries listed below have reported measles outbreaks, meaning the number of measles cases is higher than normal.
Some of the African countries where the measles outbreak have been detected include; Angola, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Guinea, Kenya, Liberia, Mali, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, South Sudan, Togo.
It is caused by a highly contagious virus, measles spreads from person to person by breathing, coughing, or sneezing. Signs and symptoms of measles include rash, high fever and a cough, runny nose, or red, watery eyes.
People can spread measles up to 4 days before and 4 days after they have a rash. Measles can lead to serious complications, such as pneumonia (infection of the lungs), and even death.