The Zamfara State Ministry of Health, in partnership with the international humanitarian organisation Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), has launched an emergency measles vaccination campaign in Zurmi Local Government Area, located in northwestern Nigeria.
The campaign follows a spike in measles cases in the area, which has so far claimed the lives of 24 children this year.
In a statement issued on Tuesday in Gusau, MSF’s Head of Mission, Mr. Abdullahi Ali, revealed that most of the children who died were under five years old and had not received the measles vaccine.
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According to Ali, the six-day campaign, which began on Monday, targets children between the ages of six months and five years old.
“The goal of the campaign is to stop the spread of measles quickly and prevent more deaths.
“During the campaign, the MSF teams will also check children for signs of malnutrition, using a simple arm measurement (MUAC) and refer those who are undernourished to nearby health Centres for treatment.
“As of early May, more than 1,600 suspected measles cases have been reported across all 11 wards in Zurmi LGA,” he stated.
He further explained that the number of measles cases was higher than usual and had passed the level considered an epidemic.
“Many of the children, who became seriously ill, had other health problems like eye infections, malaria, and poor nutrition, which made their condition worse. The death rate is currently 1.2 per cent,” he added.
According to him, to reach as many children as possible, MSF is using both fixed vaccination sites and mobile teams that can travel to remote and hard-to-reach areas.
“The aim is to vaccinate at least 95 per cent of children in the target age group to protect the wider community and stop the outbreak,” Ali explained.
He added that based on the reports of previous vaccination campaigns in June 2024, only 59 per cent of children were reached due to a shortage of vaccines and security issues in some areas.
“The current outbreak is worst in communities like Zurmi town, Dauran Birnin Tsaba, Mayasa Kuturu, and Rukudawa, where regular vaccination services are limited and access to healthcare is difficult.
“Children in Zurmi are facing a double crisis of disease and hunger.
“We are seeing a sharp rise in measles cases, along with high levels of malnutrition, which makes children even more vulnerable.” He said.
Ali added that a nutrition screening carried out in June 2024 showed that one in every four children in Zurmi was undernourished.
Still referencing the screening, he said that more than four per cent of the children were severely malnourished, well above emergency levels set by the World Health Organisation.
“The MSF-run treatment centre at Zurmi General Hospital continues to receive more and more children with serious nutrition-related complications,” he explained.
The MSF head, therefore, called on partners and health authorities to support this urgent response and help ensure that every child in the Zurmi area gets the care and protection he needs.