A measles epidemic has struck the Tanganyika district of Katanga in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where hundreds of thousands of children are not immunized. MSF has launched a large-scale emergency intervention to treat the sick and vaccinate children.

More than 2,000 people have contracted measles in Tanganyika district during the first half of the 2008. Thirty-five measles-related deaths have been reported, yet the death toll may be higher. Complications arising from the disease are the main causes of death, and can occur several weeks after infection.

“Measles is a very contagious disease, and it kills a great number of children here,” explains Josep Prior, MSF head of mission in DRC. “Children under five are the main victims, but older people can catch it too, or transmit the virus.”

MSF has decided to support the health system, ensuring that measles patients can be isolated and receive adequate medication in time. MSF medical teams focus on acute cases, patients suffering from complications such as respiratory infections, diarrhea, dehydration or malnutrition. Meanwhile, vaccination teams will immunize all children between 6 months and 15 years of age in 10 areas. This is a massive campaign — an estimated 625,000 children will be vaccinated.

A whole generation of children has not been properly immunized, and is now particularly vulnerable to infection. “In Tanganyika,” adds Prior, “routine vaccination was not effective during the war. Many people have been fleeing for years. They hid in the bush, settled elsewhere, and even left DRC.  It is only in the last two years that the situation has become peaceful, and that people have returned.”

Living in remote areas, part of the population still does not have access to primary healthcare. “The epidemic is rife in a huge area, and we can barely access the villages by vehicle,” relates Anne Wouters, head of one of MSF vaccination teams. “We will adapt ourselves, be inventive. We have to use motorcycles, bikes and boats on the river Tanganyika, which runs through the district. This vaccination campaign is really complex to organize.”

The campaign, which is run in collaboration with local health authorities and staff, began on July 7 and will last four months. A total of 200 MSF workers will be covering the areas of Moba, Kalemie, Nyunzu, Nyemba, Ankoro, Kabalo, Manono, Kiambi, Kansimba and Kilwa.

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