The World Health Organisation says that an epidemic of measles in Madagascar has caused more than 900 deaths. According to WHO figures, there have been more than 68 000 cases of the disease in which 553 deaths were confirmed and another 373 suspected from measles since the outbreak began in September. Those most at risk are infants from nine to 11 months old. The epidemic is blamed on a low immunisation rate for measles across the island nation over a period of many years, according to WHO spokesperson Tarik Jasarevic. The vaccination rate is estimated to be less than 60 percent, according to figures from WHO and Unicef figures, he said. Madagascar has launched a nationwide campaign to try to bring the outbreak under control, through mass vaccination campaigns and surveillance.
More than 900 people have died in a measles outbreak in Madagascar, according to WHO (the World Health Organisation). There have been 68,000 cases of the disease since the outbreak started in September. Some 553 measles-related deaths have been confirmed, while another 373 are suspected, the the World Health Organisation added. Low immunisation rates on the island nation are thought to be behind the epidemic.