A group known as Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) (Doctors without Borders) has alerted Nigerians that it is taking care of patients suffering from measles in and around Maiduguri, the Borno State capital.
It noted that the first child affected by measles was admitted to Gwange Paediatric Hospital on December 3, 2020, adding that since then, the number of patients has been increasing in Maiduguri hospitals. This was disclosed by MSF Head of Mission David Thérond.
“A vaccination campaign is required to see the number of cases decrease,” he said.
Continuing, Thérond said: “So far, a total of 1,158 children with measles have been received in Gwange Paediatric Hospital in Maiduguri from January 1 to April 3, 2021 out of which figure 58 per cent has come from Zabarmari, a small town located about 20 km from Maiduguri.
“In response, MSF strengthened the hospitalisation capacity in both Gwange and Fori health facilities, increasing the number of beds from 65 to 105 in Gwange.
“MSF has also launched activities in partnership with the health authorities in the town of Zabarmari, one of the most affected areas which have an estimated population of over 45,000 people, including displaced families in host community.
“Given that access to Zabarmari remains a challenge, due to the volatile context, MSF has set up a local team comprising 10 community health workers and nurses.”
Borno State has had incidents of the measles epidemic every two years over the past decade. During the measles outbreak in 2019, eight local government areas of Borno State were affected and MSF provided care to 4,000 children in Gwange and Bama hospitals.
On what contributed to the outbreak, the group noted that “several factors contributed to the epidemic. This included the fact that the routine vaccination was not carried out in many locations because over 60 per cent of health centres, according to health authorities, are closed or unable to function properly because of the conflict.”
Kubura Mohammed, a mother of seven children, is from Zabarmari. She is in the paediatric hospital with her four-year-old daughter, Kaltume Hafisu, who has been diagnosed of measles.
“My daughter has been ill for six days before I brought her to the hospital. The medical team was all around my daughter throughout our first night because her condition was critical. Her treatment commenced from the moment she was admitted and this included blood transfusion and the administration of intravenous fluids.
“The care we are receiving here is completely free. We appreciate what MSF is doing in our community. About two weeks ago, one of my daughters was also treated of measles in this hospital,” she said,” Thérond said.
(The Nation)
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