Measles campaign targets more than 5 million children

A measles vaccination and vitamin A campaign, targeting more than five million children aged between six months and 15 years, was launched on Friday by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the health ministry. "This campaign is part of our joint efforts to fight the major childhood killer diseases in Ethiopia," said Dr Mahendra Sheth, the head of UNICEF Ethiopia's health and nutrition section. "Only through well-coordinated campaigns like this are we able to combat measles and vitamin A deficiency, which not only cause high childhood mortality, but also blindness, deafness and even brain damage among thousands of children." Measles is one of the five major causes of child mortality in Ethiopia. Malnourished children are especially susceptible. The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that 1.45 million measles cases occur in Ethiopia annually, causing about 72,000 child deaths. "Ethiopia has one of the lowest child immunisation rates in the region," said Dr Angela Benson, the WHO representative in Ethiopia. "To improve coverage and reduce child mortality, it is essential that we strengthen routine immunisation in every village throughout the country. We put an emphasis on drought-affected areas during this campaign, but our longer-term objective must be to reach every child in every part of the country." Trained staff in South and North Welo, Wag Hamra, Arsi, Sidama, Welayita and Fik zones will carry out the seven-day campaign. The total cost is US $1.9 million, with each immunisation and vitamin A droplet costing less than US 40 cents per child. By the end of 2003, a total of 19 million children will have been immunised against measles.