Botswana at risk of measles outbreak

MARANYANE NGWANAAMOTHO
Staff Writer | Thursday April 8, 2010 00:00

 

Measles is a communicable disease that is transmitted from one person to another when an infected person comes into contact with unaffected ones. Movements of people between the two countries could be a contributing factor to the epidemic spreading to Botswana.

Zimbabwe's government has acknowledged the worsening situation and together with the United Nations agencies, appealed for more than US$8 million to combat the measles outbreak that began in two apostolic religious sects last year September.

Leaders of the sects oppose vaccination and rather encourage prayer and natural remedies instead of Western medicine.  However, some of the women have been quite willing to accept vaccination after realising that many children have died from the disease.  The npr website revealed yesterday that the official count is an approximate 2,000 cases and about 200 deaths so far. About 90 percent of the 10 districts have been affected.

The website also stated that last week, Zimbabwean Health Minister, Henry Madzorera, called the measles epidemic out-of-control. However, the epidemic has been blamed on the breakdown of the country's health sector and the economy.Zimbabwemetro website states that if the country receives the US$8 million aid, the money would be used on immunisation programmes to contain the outbreak.

In the past months, Botswana was faced with a measles outbreak that was immediately put under control by the Ministry of Health.  However, latest reports by the Director of Public Health, Shanaaz El-Halabi, have indicated that they are still receiving reports of the disease outbreak in schools and various places across the country.