Drought may worsen measles outbreak in east - UNICEF

The severe drought currently affecting eastern Ethiopia could intensify a measles outbreak that has killed at least 34 people in the region over the last six months, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has warned. The outbreak in the northeastern Afar and southeastern Somali regions could spread further as those hit by the drought began migrating to other areas, the agency said. "Very low immunisation levels in Somali region, combined with the displacement of the population which is exacerbated by the current drought, points to further widespread transmission in the region," UNICEF said in a statement on Tuesday. In Afar, more than 370 cases of measles - 20 of them fatal - were reported between July and December 2005. A further 14 deaths were reported in Somali region. More than 750,000 children in Somali will be immunised against measles in the coming weeks to try and prevent it spreading. UNICEF said nearly 13 million Ethiopian children would be vaccinated countrywide later this year in a bid to prevent any further outbreaks. Measles is a highly contagious disease that kills about one million children worldwide every year, particularly in developing countries. Half the deaths are in sub-Saharan Africa, according to the UN World Health Organization. The airborne viral disease is associated with high fever, rashes and vomiting. Cases of meningitis have also broken out in Ethiopia's southern Omo Valley, the health ministry has reported, with about 85 people infected and five fatalities. Meanwhile, Ethiopia will conduct a new round of nationwide polio vaccinations following the discovery of three new cases of the debilitating illness, bringing the total number of cases in the country over the past year to 21. Some 16 million Ethiopian children were vaccinated against polio in 2005 when the first cases in four years were reported. The new cases led to fears that the disease could make a comeback after an outbreak in Nigeria spread to Sudan and other nations. The new drive, due to start in February, will target children under the age of five. A second phase will follow. The campaign is synchronised with Sudan, Somalia and Djibouti. The poliomyelitis virus generally strikes children. It attacks the nervous system, causing paralysis and sometimes death due to respiratory problems.