Measles, polio spike in Africa amid outbreak of vaccine-preventable diseases

In the first quarter of this year, Africa recorded a 400% increase in measles compared with the same period last year.

This after 20 countries in the region – eight more than last year – reported cases, together totalling 17 500.

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This is according to the World Health Organisation’s Regional Office for Africa which said Africa is experiencing a surge in outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases.

Other concerns listed in the WHO’s report was a resurgence of polio in 24 African countries – four more than in 2020.

Last year, 13 nations on the continent reported new yellow fever outbreaks, compared with 9 in 2020 and just 3 in 2019.

Inequality in access to vaccine, as well as Covid-19 causing disruptions and placing a huge strain on the region’s health systems impaired routine immunisation services in many African countries and forced the suspension of vaccination drives.

‘The rise in outbreaks of other vaccine-preventable diseases is a warning sign. As Africa works hard to defeat

Covid-19, we must not forget other health threats. Health systems could be severely strained, not only by Covid-19 but by other diseases,’ said Dr Matshidiso Moeti, WHO regional director for Africa.

‘Vaccines are at the heart of a successful public health response and, as countries restore services, routine immunisation must be at the core of revived and resilient health systems.’

To reach measles elimination, according to the WHO, countries are expected to vaccinate 95% of the population with the two-dose measles vaccine.

In 2019, just six African countries reached the 95% measles vaccination target with the first dose of the measles vaccination, and only three countries met this target in 2020.

To upscale coverage and protect children, the WHO is supporting countries in the region with routine catch-up vaccination campaigns, with 38 African countries responding to a global survey, reporting that they had implemented at least one routine catch-up campaign in the second half of last year.

According to the WHO, mass vaccination campaigns are also boosting Covid-19 vaccine uptake, with the percentage of fully vaccinated African adults rising between January and April to 17.1% from 11.1%.

‘Routine immunisation, a long-established practise in many African countries, has been severely strained by the impact of Covid-19.

‘In the wake of this pandemic, we are committed to supporting countries devise smart approaches to scale up both Covid-19 vaccination, and restore and expand routine immunisation services,’ said Dr Benido Impouma, director, Communicable and Noncommunicable Diseases Cluster at WHO Regional Office for Africa.

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