The Health Ministry of Zimbabwe, a country in southern Africa, reported over the weekend that since April of this year, a measles outbreak there has claimed close to 700 children’s lives.
37 deaths, according to the ministry, happened on September 1. On September 4, 6, 291 cases were subsequently noted.
The most recent statistics show that there have been more than four times as many fatalities as there were when the ministry first reported 157 pediatric deaths, the majority of whom were unvaccinated owing to their families’ religious convictions.
The Medical and Dental Private Practitioners of Zimbabwe Association’s president, Dr. Johannes Marisa, told The Associated Press on Monday that the government should step up its current mass vaccination campaign and launch awareness campaigns aimed specifically at anti-vaccine religious organisations.
“Because of the resistance, education may not be enough so the government should also consider using coercive measures to ensure that no one is allowed to refuse vaccination for their children,” said Marisa.
“Consider implementing legislation that makes immunization against fatal diseases like the measles mandatory,” he pleaded with the authorities.
On Monday, UNICEF expressed its “grave worry” at the amount of measles cases and child deaths. According to the agency, vaccination campaigns are helping the government fight the outbreak.
Early in April, the eastern Manicaland province reported the first cases of the measles outbreak, which has now expanded to the entire nation. Children who were not immunised have died in large numbers, Information Minister Monica Mutsvangwa stated in August.
The government has launched a widespread immunisation program for children between the ages of 6 months and 15 years old, and it is enlisting the cooperation of traditional and religious leaders.