Published Date: 2010-04-28 08:52:11
Subject: PRO/EAFR> Measles - Africa (15): Mauritania
Archive Number: 20100428.207022
MEASLES - AFRICA (15): MAURITANIA
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A ProMED-mail post
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International Society for Infectious Diseases
http://www.isid.org
Date: Mon 26 Apr 2010
Source: People's Daily in French, Xinhua News Agency report [in
French, machine trans., edited]
http://french.peopledaily.com.cn/International/6962412.html
19 measles deaths, 2010: Mauritania
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Measles has killed 19 people in Mauritania since the beginning of the
year [2010], said Saturday [24 April 2010] the Mauritania President
Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz. The Head of State, who presided in a
district of Nouakchott opening a campaign against measles and polio,
said that these losses are due to human negligence in the prevention
of this disease and non-vaccination of children in the eligible age
groups.
"This requires us all to intensify efforts to live up to
responsibility and understand that if diseases exist, prevention
against these diseases also exists and it is cheaper and safer for
the future," he added. He urged clerics and imams of mosques to urge
people on the importance of vaccination to prevent these devastating diseases.
--
Communicated by:
HealthMap Alerts via ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>
[Measles is fast returning as a major cause of morbidity and
mortality in the African continent despite the fact that an effective
vaccine has existed for years. This therefore calls for countries to
embrace all the measles control strategies recommended by the WHO.
The strategy entails: an initial catch-up nationwide immunization
campaign usually targeting every child from nine months to 14 years;
sustained routine immunization coverage of at least 95 percent of
children during the 1st year of life; and nationwide campaigns every
2-5 years usually targeting children born after the initial catch-up
campaign (see http://www.who.int/topics/measles/en/.)
A map showing the regions of Mauritania can be seen at
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regions_of_Mauritania. The
HealthMap/ProMED interactive map of the country is available at
http://healthmap.org/r/01em. - Mod.JFW]