The outbreak of the disease was reported in the Refugee Reception Centre in Lokung Sub County and the Palabek Refugee settlement which is home to over 65,000 refugees from South Sudan. According to the acting District Health Officer Dr Denis Ocula, at least 50 cases turned positive for measles, 30 of which have already been discharged and 11 are still hospitalized.
A month-long mass immunization campaign against measles has started in Lamwo district following an outbreak reported last month.
Measles is an acute, highly infectious, vaccine-preventable viral disease
that can be transmitted through the air or through direct contact with an infected
person. It presents symptoms of a runny nose, cough, red and watery eyes,
small white spots inside the cheeks, and rashes on the face, upper neck, hands and
feet of the patient mainly children.
The outbreak of the disease was reported in the Refugee Reception Centre in Lokung Sub
County and the Palabek Refugee settlement which is home to over 65,000 refugees
from South Sudan. According to the acting District Health Officer Dr Denis
Ocula, at least 50
cases turned positive for measles, 30 of which have already been discharged and 11 are still hospitalized.
Dr Ocula says the
outbreak is presumed to have emerged from South Sudan due to a
current influx of refugees into Uganda and their frequent cross-border
movements through the official and porous border points. He says that the mass vaccination drive is targeting more than 15,000
children aged between 6 months and 15 years.
//Cue in; “there has been…
Cue out…next one week.”//
The District immunization Focal Person Walter
Ocira says the immunization campaign will be conducted in all households in the refugee
settlement and the refugee reception centre before it's rolled out to the host communities.
According to Ocira, Palabek Refugee Settlement,
Lokung Refugee Reception Centre and the neighbouring host sub-counties of Palabek Ogili, Nyimur, Palabek Gem, Lokung, Palabek Kal and
the two town councils of Palabek Kal and Lamwo have been mapped as the high-risk areas.
Ocira says the
door-to-door strategy being conducted during the month of October is meant to
boost the immunity of children against the deadly disease
and also contain the outbreak and prevent it from spreading to other areas in
the district.
//Cue in; “enoni weng…
Cue out….dongo pa latin.”//
Lamwo Resident District Commissioner Geoffrey
Osborn Ochieng reiterates that the district is vulnerable and they will not
offer room for complacency due to the significant risks of a disease outbreak
that continue to exist through cross-border transmission. He says they are tracing some children who reportedly migrated out of the district
and urged communities
living in the areas where the campaign will take place to ensure that all
children receive the measles vaccine.
//Cue in; “malube ki…
Cue out….lutino iot yat.”//
Ochieng, however, stressed that whenever similar
campaigns are initiated some people raise vaccine safety concerns but pledged
assurance that vaccines being used for the campaign have undergone rigorous
safety procedures and are safe to be administered to children.
He also warned persons who would oppose the
campaign saying the government will take necessary actions against them for
frustrating and depriving children of enjoying their fundamental right to
good health but also essential to keep Uganda free from measles.
Dan Michael Komakech
Freelancer