Zimbabwe Experiences Measles Outbreak: There Are 1.036 Suspected Cases, 80 Children Die

Illustration of the measles vaccine in Africa. (Wikimedia Commons/UK Department for International Development/Pete Lewis)

JAKARTA - The Zimbabwean Ministry of Health said the country was experiencing an outbreak of measles, with a spike in cases and 80 children dying since last April.

In a statement seen by Reuters on Sunday, the ministry said the outbreak had spread nationwide, with the case fatality rate reaching 6.9 percent.

Last Thursday, Zimbabwe's Health Minister said there were 1.036 suspected cases and 125 confirmed cases had been reported since the outbreak began.

Of these, the Manicaland region in eastern Zimbabwe has the highest number of cases.

"The ministry of health and child care would like to inform the public that the ongoing measles outbreak, which was first reported on April 10, is spreading nationwide following a church gathering," Chimedza said in a statement.

"The meeting, which was attended by people from different provinces of the country with unknown vaccination status, led to the spread of measles to previously unaffected areas."

Manicaland, Zimbabwe's second most populous province, has recorded 356 cases and 45 deaths, Chimedza said.

Most of the reported cases were among children aged between six months and 15 years who were not vaccinated against measles.

Bishop Andby Makuru, leader of the apostolic sect Johanne Masowe, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

It is known that some church sects in Zimbabwe forbid their followers to get any vaccinations or medical treatment. Churches attract millions of followers with the promise of curing disease and liberating people from poverty.

With vaccination rates low and in some cases, no records, the government has decided to start a mass vaccination campaign in areas where outbreaks are recorded.

The measles outbreak is expected to weigh on Zimbabwe's ailing health sector, which is already battered by a lack of medicine and strikes by health workers.