Zimbabwean authorities announced on Tuesday that at least 157 children have died from measles, noting that the number of reported infections since the contagious viral disease began spreading in the country two weeks ago has topped 2,000.
In early August, the first cases of measles were recorded in the African country, and since then the number of infections has steadily increased, and the number of deaths from the disease has doubled in less than a week.
And on Tuesday, Information Minister Monica Mutswangwa told a press conference that “as of August 15, the country’s cumulative casualties have reached 2,056 wounded and 157 dead.”
She added that the government intends to step up vaccination operations and will spend money from the National Emergency Response Fund, as well as asking tribal and religious leaders for support in encouraging the public to vaccinate their children against the disease.
The Zimbabwean Ministry of Health attributed the current outbreak to religious gatherings.
The measles virus mainly affects children, and its most serious complications are blindness and diarrhea, as well as serious infections of the respiratory system. And last April, the World Health Organization warned that Africa was facing a 400 percent rise in vaccine-preventable diseases. in the number of patients compared to the same period last year due to a delay in obtaining the vaccine.
