Search
  1. Home
  2. West Africa
  3. Burkina Faso

Meningitis, measles deaths climb in Burkina Faso

[Central African Republic (CAR)] A child is vaccinated against measles in Bangui, capital of the Central African Republic. [Date picture taken: 10/24/2005] Joseph Benamse/IRIN
Measles outbreak prompts calls for vaccination campaign in Burkina Faso (file photo)
    DAKAR

    As of 26 April, 449 people have died of meningitis and 226 from measles in Burkina Faso, according to the Ministry of Health. The meningitis death toll has climbed to 12.7 percent of those affected, Ousmane Badolo, the director of the ministry’s epidemiological surveillance, told IRIN.



    A disease is considered under effective control if the death rate is 10 percent or less, according to World Health Organization (WHO).



    More than 31,000 measles infections have been reported, giving the outbreak a 0.7-percent mortality rate. During the same period last year, there were fewer than 100 reported cases.



    Thirty seven out of 56 districts have reported measles cases. The government is requesting donor support for a still unscheduled measles vaccination campaign in 19 districts that would target more than three million people.



    pt/aj

    This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions

    Share this article

    Our ability to deliver compelling, field-based reporting on humanitarian crises rests on a few key principles: deep expertise, an unwavering commitment to amplifying affected voices, and a belief in the power of independent journalism to drive real change.

    We need your help to sustain and expand our work. Your donation will support our unique approach to journalism, helping fund everything from field-based investigations to the innovative storytelling that ensures marginalised voices are heard.

    Please consider joining our membership programme. Together, we can continue to make a meaningful impact on how the world responds to crises.

    Become a member of The New Humanitarian

    Support our journalism and become more involved in our community. Help us deliver informative, accessible, independent journalism that you can trust and provides accountability to the millions of people affected by crises worldwide.

    Join