Measles killing hundreds in Nigeria

Hundreds of children have died from an upsurge in measles cases in Nigeria, despite a series of local vaccination campaigns aimed at combating the disease, health authorities said yesterday.

At least 589 have died from measles so far this year in Nigeria – one of the three countries most affected by the disease worldwide, alongside India and Pakistan.

Most of the victims this year have been children under five in northern states, according to figures from the World Health Organisation and the Nigerian Red Cross. The most seriously affected state of Kano, in the north, saw 155 deaths.

Measles epidemics typically peak in Nigeria in March, said WHO spokeswoman Melissa Corkum from the capital Abuja, meaning the death toll could become still heavier.

Until now, immunisations in Nigeria have been restricted to certain regions, but Nigeria’s government plans to conduct its first nationwide measles vaccination campaign in December, assisted by UN agencies WHO and UNICEF.