News About Congo

Measles

Mass vaccination program are a big challenge in Congo.  For example, the measles vaccines must be kept cold and under refrigeration until used. 

MSF responding to measles epidemics in the Democratic Republic of Congo - news - MSF UK.

Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) is currently carrying out several mass immunisation campaigns to increase measles vaccination coverage in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) after health authorities declared a number of measles epidemics. Medical teams have treated hundreds of measles cases.

Measles is a highly contagious viral infection which can spread quickly and can have deadly consequences for vulnerable populations. The DRC is one of the countries where the disease persists despite its successful control elsewhere in the world. “Epidemics like these are avoidable if the population has been vaccinated” said Karla Bil, MSF’s Health Advisor.

“Mass immunisation campaigns are so important because they raise the level of vaccination coverage and prevent unnecessary deaths” she added.

West Kasai Leads Polio Cases Count

Basic Water and Sanitation (WASH) issues maybe behind the rise in polio cases in DR Congo.

IRIN Africa | DRC: Polio cases on the rise | DRC | Health & Nutrition.

The Democratic Republic of Congo recorded 63 cases of type 1 poliomyelitis, the most virulent form, in 2010, with a sharp rise in cases over the past two months, according to health officials. The largest number of infections, with 50 cases of paralysis, occurred in Western Kasai province, close to the Angolan border.

 In neighbouring Republic of Congo, the same disease has killed 169 people and paralyzed 409, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

Although polio usually strikes children under five, in both countries it is mainly adults who have been infected. “Vaccination campaigns only started in this country [DRC] in the mid-1980s. Those now over 30 years of age have mostly not been vaccinated,” said Health Minister Victor Makwenge Kaput.

“Citizens should employ basic hygiene measures, such as hand-washing and keeping latrines clean,” he added.