Measles outbreak hits Malawi major cities
Over 100 hundred measles cases have been reported in Malawi’s major cities of Blantyre and Lilongwe, sparking fears of an outbreak.
But health authorities have dismissed the outbreak fears, calling it “a normal occurance among unimmunised children”.
Secretary for Health Chris Kang’ombe (pictured) told PANA Monday that 74 cases of measles were reported in high-density townships of the commercial capital, Blantyre, by Friday.
He also said some cases had been reported in high-density townships of the administrative capital, Lilongwe.
“We cannot call this an outbreak because those children attacked are those that were not immunised against measles soon after birth,” he said.
Measles is a respiratory infection caused by a virus. It can be highly-contagious if treatment is delayed.
It induces flu-like symptoms such us running nose, coughing and fever. It also causes skin-rashes.
Kang’ombe said the Ministry of Health had since intensified public awareness on the importance of having babies vaccinated against various diseases.–PANA
Lets make a correction here. You call an outbreak an outbreak if you have more cases of a condition than usual. It is not based on whether a person is immunized or not. First you have to know what is a “normal” or endemic rate for your area. Do we? In countries with a good public health infrastructure the rate of measles is so low that even 10 cases would be considered an outbreak. To me 100 hundred cases sounds like a bad outbreak, or have we gotten so used to bad news that we have become insensitized?
Just to add to my previous comment. Here is how the WHO defines an outbreak:
A disease outbreak is the occurrence of cases of disease in excess of what would normally be expected in a defined community, geographical area or season. An outbreak may occur in a restricted geographical area, or may extend over several countries. It may last for a few days or weeks, or for several years.
A single case of a communicable disease long absent from a population, or caused by an agent (e.g. bacterium or virus) not previously recognized in that community or area, or the emergence of a previously unknown disease, may also constitute an outbreak and should be reported and investigated.
Andumile, you are right. You may forgive the PS. He appears not to have read epidemiology, Public Health, Medicine or other related fields.
I know he doesn’t have a medical or public health backgroud.He is just a professional technocrat. I think he is doing well in running the Ministry.
Next time though, he should make sure to have his understanding of simple terms like “outbreak” right. And attending a crash course, just to be on top of such terms, wouldn’t be bad.
He has however helped to demisfy the notion that one needs to be a medical doctor to run Ministry of Health (MoH). In fact, there were protests within MoH when he was moved there. Well done Mr Kang’ombe.
You are very right andumile. In my short practice as a health professional(10 years), this is the highest number of reported cases i have heard in malawi. And this is an outbreak; for me even if we had 10 cases. the reason in simple. In the past 20 years, measles have been well controled in malawi so that it was almost reduced to zero. So all of a sudden to report 100 cases in one a year worse still a month, thats an outbreak.It doesnt matter whether the children are immunised or not!!For a vaccine preventable disease, an outbreak is not declared only when the vaccinated fall ill; its when large number of people fall ill above a given threshold irrespective of vaccination status!!
Secondly,does the PS want to tell us that we have set our target so low so that we consider 100 cases as ‘normal’? I think its a very unfortunate statement from seniour health policy head. Next time 500 will be normal. Obviously our vaccination programme is not working well so we should not ‘normalise’ failures resulting from it.
On a smaller not, the PS is a PhD holder and an intellegent man from what i have heard. After 2-3 years in the ministry, this is the language he should have picked up by now. I dont think it was for the lack of public health knowledge he said that. It was for a political( in a broader sense of the word) reason. After a cholera outbreak, he just doent want to have his ministry associated with another outbreak!! So why not sugar coat it!!
Right on point, Anagondo!
Are you sure children attacked are only those who didn’t get ammunisation against measles or you are just covering for youreself?
Media, media, media in developing countries simudzaphunzira kulemba ngakhale pang’ono.British Labour MP Kumar found dead and up to now BBC has not yet said or written anything. ndiye muonere anzanu mmene amalembera nkhani yochititsa manyazi ngati iyi with patriotism without denting their image and removing the negative connotation. kuma si mbuzi za ku africa
Don’t believe it, respiratory infection?
You better take it seriously. There is an outbreak of measles right now in countries in Africa where the vaccine coverage is way above Malawi’s–mind you we (Malawi) are not far from the best in Africa.
Now if these countries have been brought down to their knees to admit that they are grappling with the outbreak, who are we to think we art holier?
To exchange notes with colleagues; in these countries, the measles virus seems to have targeted teenagers for some reason( could be the batch of the vaccines given during their time)but now it seems to easily spread to folks who have a decreased immune status too, pregnant women, babies and more. It is not weird to see adults and babies alike get the measles. I must stress though the virus has by no means stuck to the groups I have mentioned–every one seems to be getting it, teenager or not, immunodepressed or not etc.
In the past two days I saw 7 cases in one hospital–confirmed by Igm tests.
My advice; borrow notes from these countries pronto before it gets out of hand; train people to follow simple basic hygiene like those we ought to follow for swine flu; remember, they can be transmitted in the same manner. To Mr Kang’ombe:
Put in efficient, comprehensive and complete reporting systems that will enable you to react measurably and effectively by the hour–this may include at-least makeshift blood testing centre for IGM/IGG to remove your doubts about the outbreak.
Finally, think about your healthworkers; offer them protection.
secretary for health, dont cheat us here that those infected by the disease were not immunised. I mean how did that happen because what i know is that it is a must for mothers to have there kids immunised immediately or soon after birth. Also they go to underfive clinic atlease every month and there they get vaccinated. So what are u telling us. You just have to resign period.
Yewo you are a disgrace and if that is what you have learnt in foreign countries you should stay there. We have an outbreak here and people’s lives are at stake. Are you saying it should not be reportedin order to protect Malawi’s image? The example you ave given is also fake. The news about Labour MP Ashok Kumar is all over British media including Sky. Further, when the MP allowances scandal broke out, did BBC fail to report it ‘to protect their image”? When Gordon Brown was labelled a bully, did BBC not report it ‘to protect the Prime Minister’s image?” What are you on about? Stifle transparency to protect image? What image is there to protect when people are dying Mr/Mrs Yewo?
MY DEAR READERS – THIS IS MALAWI. HE IS PLAYING POLITICS, TRYING NOT TO CAUSE PANIC AMONG THE CITIZENS OF THE WARM HEART OF AFRICA BUT UNFORTUNATELY HE FORGOT THAT WHATEVER HE SAYS WILL BE READ BY THOUSANDS OR IF NOT MILLIONS AROUND THE WORLD. I HOPE HE READS THESE COMMENTS AND I WOULD APPRECIATE IF HE COULD MAKE A CORRECTION OF HIS STATEMENTS – THANK YOU – I LOVE MY COUNTRY.
Plz sensitize the communities to be vaccinated against these insults.Its annoying that the ministry is so negligent like this,for example very few people are vaccinated against hepatitis B virus which z as fatal as HIV since it has no cure but can be prevented through vaccination I have seen many people with hepatitis B virus infection who are helpless just waiting 4 their dealth day-bad indeed-transimitte thru sexual contact and any other contact with blood products this virus destroys the liver tissue -take care.