Published Date: 2010-03-10 18:00:04
Subject: PRO/EDR> Measles - Africa (09): Nigeria (BA)
Archive Number: 20100310.0781

MEASLES - AFRICA (09): NIGERIA (BAYELSA)
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Date: Wed 10 Mar 2010
Source: Vanguard [abbreviated and edited]
<http://www.vanguardngr.com/2010/03/10/40-children-die-as-measles-scourge-in-bayelsa-worsens/>


Attempts to contain the spread of the outbreak of measles ravaging
some communities in the Southern Ijaw local government area of
Bayelsa state may have suffered a setback, as no fewer than 40
children have reportedly lost their lives to the ailment, with
several others in critical condition.

The affected communities include Angiama, Oporoma, Ikebiri,
Korokorosei, Opokpotuwari, Umbugbene, and Oweikoroghe, with Ondewari
being the worst hit. The Vanguard [newspaper] recalls that the
outbreak of the epidemic was first reported in January [2010] at
Oweikoroghe, in which 25 children were sent to their early graves,
prompting the state Ministry of Health to deploy health personnel to
the area. Also, a non-governmental organization, Medecins Sans
Frontieres (MSF), responded to the distress situation and deployed
its personnel to the remote community to contain the spread.

The latest scourge, which also prompted Environmental Rights Action,
ERA/Friends of the Earth Nigeria to dispatch its Bayelsa team to the
area, has reached an epidemic proportion, as children within the ages
of 2 and 4 years are reportedly dying daily in the town.

Lamenting the sad turn of events, the Secretary of Ondewari
community, Mr. Tontiemotei Yeiyei, who spoke to the ERA Field
Coordinator Alagoa Morris accompanied by some newsmen, said: "I am
over 40 years [old], and I have spent a greater part of my life in
this town. But I must confess that we have not experienced this kind
of situation before. It is not as if we have not had other health
situations that were overwhelming; there was a time we experienced a
cholera outbreak. But in all, we have not seen this type [of disease]
that has claimed the lives of so many children. Just within 2 months,
this community alone has lost about 40 children between the ages of 2
and 4 years.

[Byline: Samuel Oyadongha]

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Communicated by:
HealthMapAlerts via
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[Bayelsa State is a state in southern Nigeria in the core Niger Delta
region, between Delta State and Rivers State. Its capital is Yenagoa.
The language spoken is mainly the Ijaw language. (However, like the
rest of Nigeria, English is the official language). The state was
formed in 1996 from part of Rivers State, and thus it is one of the
newest states of the Nigerian Federation. For further information,
see: <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bayelsa_State>. A map showing the
location of Bayelsa state can be accessed at:
<http://www.e-nigeria.net/bayelsa.htm>, and the HealthMap/ProMED-mail
map of Nigeria is available at: <http://healthmap.org/r/007*>.

Measles virus infection is still responsible for a large number of
deaths of children in many parts of Africa. It is clear from the
deleted portion of the text of this press report that communications
and essential infrastructure in this region have been neglected by
the central government. As a consequence, the population has had to
resort to drugs and treatments obtainable from local pharmacies in
lieu of a comprehensive measles vaccination campaign. Hopefully, the
non-governmental organisations operating in this region will be able
to provide an adequate response. - Mod.CP]

See Also

Measles - Africa (08): South Africa (WC), Zimbabwe (BU) 20100302.0692
Measles - Africa (07): South Africa 20100212.0503
Measles - Africa (06): Nigeria (BY) 20100202.0360
Measles - Africa (05): South Africa (Cape) alert 20100202.0358
Measles - Africa (04): Nigeria (BY) RFI 20100129.0317
Measles - Africa (03): Zimbabwe (MV) 20100120.0232
Measles - Africa (02): Zimbabwe 20100120.0229
Measles - Africa: Namibia (KU) 20100117.0195
.................................................cp/msp/lm

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