Healthcare worker vaccinates a child against measles. | File/Courtesy.

The Ministry of Health and partner – Medicines Sans Frontiers (MSF) have launched a measles vaccination campaign in Boma of Pibor Administrative Area after confirming an outbreak of the childhood disease in the area.

In earlier October, Health Minister Yolanda Awel dispatched a team to the area to collect samples following reports of a mystery illness the remote Boma area.

The samples, according to a high-ranking official at the ministry, have now tested positive for measles.

Dr. John Rumunu, the Director General of Preventive Health Services said a good number of the samples indicated infection of the virus that is fast spreading in different parts of the country, especially in displacement camps.

“As soon as we got the information, we formed a team from our National Rapid Response Team with colleagues from WHO, who went to Mewun and samples were collected and we tested the samples,” he said.

“A good number of the sample tested positive for measles, and I am happy to inform the public that already through support from MSF, we are already implementing reactive measles vaccination in the area.”

Dr. Rumunu said the Ministry of Health, with support from the medical charity – MSF, has activated measles vaccination in the area.

According to WHO, measles is a highly contagious disease caused by the measles virus and occurs as a seasonal disease in tropical zones during the dry season.

It is transmitted instantly through respiratory droplets when an infected person sneezes or coughs, but the nature of transmission to vaccinated persons has not been demonstrated.

There is no specific antiviral treatment for measles and most people recover within 2-3 weeks.

But measles can cause serious complications including blindness, severe diarrhea, ear infection, and pneumonia among malnourished children and people with compromised immunity as well as pregnant women.

The disease still kills more than 200,000 people a year, mostly children but it can be prevented with a vaccine.