The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), formerly known as the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund, has officially declared a measles and whooping cough outbreak in the Philippines.
According to UNICEF, the measles outbreak has affected the southern region, while whooping cough has impacted parts of Luzon and Visayas in the central region. It has been reported that approximately 70% of the country’s regions and cities are at high risk of polio.
The UN agency, in a press release, declared all three diseases as highly infectious for children. Before April 1, over 500 cases of measles had been reported in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.
“This number is already half of the cases reported for almost the entire 2023 and could be much higher, troubling for a region with great aspirations for its children and future,” the agency added.
Despite the immunisation campaign in the affected regions, reports indicate that some health officials encountered refusals and hesitations due to misunderstandings and vaccine fatigue.
In the battle against the outbreaks, UNICEF is aiding the emergency purchase of two million doses of measles vaccine, with one million expected to arrive in the coming weeks and more to follow in the coming months.