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

The Ministry of Health in Unity State raised an alarm Tuesday over the current measles outbreak after registering over 500 cases and 10 deaths in two months.

Dr. Duol Biem, the Director General of the state Ministry of Health said the childhood disease is afflicting mostly malnourished and unvaccinated children from families returning from Sudan.

Dr. Biem said the cases and deaths were recorded between May and July across the flood-stricken state.

He stated that Rubkona, Mayom, and Guit counties have registered the biggest number of cases, although the health authorities are still recording cases statewide.

Speaking to Eye Radio from Bentiu, Dr. Biem fears that given the fact that most children who return from Sudan are unvaccinated and malnourished, their chances of survival are minimal.

“The state has registered over 500 cases of Measles now, in a short period of time, it very worrying to us as a state,” he said.

“Most of these children that are affected by this virus are malnourished children, these are children with malnutrition cases that what I mean, and when measles attack malnourished children they chance of survival are minimal. So, it is very deadly for malnourished children.”

-Out of hand- 

The health official further appeals to the National Ministry of Health, and health partners, to support the state with resources for quick control of the fast-spreading disease.

“We are appealing to the Ministry of Health to support us. This measles outbreak is almost getting out of hand now because of the cases we are receiving.”

“We also appealing to our health partners to support us with resources and morals so that we can respond to this outbreak effectively for the disease to be controlled.”

The official attributed the increase in Measles cases to the large population of returnees Unity is receiving daily from Sudan.

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.