MSF Launches Emergency Measles Vaccination Campaign in Zurmi, Zamfara State
 
By: Michael Mike

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) in collaboration with Zamfara state Ministry of Health and Zurmi Local Government Area (LGA) has launched an emergency measles vaccination campaign in Zurmi LGA, following an increase in the number of children suffering from the disease that has already claimed the lives of 24 children this year.

Most of the children who died were under five years old and had not been vaccinated.
 
The six-day campaign, which began today, 8 July, is targeting children between the ages of 6 months and 5 years. The goal is to stop the spread of measles quickly and prevent more deaths. During the campaign, 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. The number of cases is much higher than usual and has 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%.
 
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% of children in the target age group to protect the wider community and stop the outbreak.
 
A previous vaccination campaign in June 2024 only reached 59% of children 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,” said Abdullahi Mohamed Ali, MSF’s Head of Mission. “We are seeing a sharp rise in measles cases, along with high levels of malnutrition, which makes children even more vulnerable.”
 
A nutrition screening carried out in June 2024 showed that more than one in four children in Zurmi were undernourished, and over 4% 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.
 
MSF is calling on all partners and health authorities to support this urgent response and help ensure that every child in Zurmi gets the care and protection they need.

MSF Launches Emergency Measles Vaccination Campaign in Zurmi, Zamfara State

Lesotho moves towards mass treatment of worm infections

By: Michael Mike

To address the severe impact of parasitic worm infections on children’s health, nutrition, and education, the Ministry of Health in Lesotho, in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO), has initiated steps to re-establish its Mass Drug Administration (MDA) programme for Soil-Transmitted Helminths (STH).

This is done through the annual administration of albendazole tablets to target both preschool-aged children (1–5 years) and school-aged children (6–15 years). To prepare for the implementation of this critical intervention, a three-and-a-half-day multi-sectoral workshop was held in Leribe District, focusing on the development and validation of a comprehensive operational manual to guide future MDA implementation.

WHO has reported that over 1.5 billion people globally are infected with soil-transmitted helminths (STH), making it one of the most widespread infections. This parasitic disease is particularly prevalent in low-income and tropical regions.

The AFRO region faces the highest burden, with more than 800 million people at risk. Around 290 million school-age children in this region require preventive chemotherapy.

All Saharan African countries are endemic for STH, underscoring the critical need for comprehensive health interventions.

Lesotho conducted its initial national STH mapping survey in 2015, which revealed an overall prevalence of 47.6%, with significant district level variations, some reaching as high as 99%. This led to the launch of an MDA program in 2017, which, however, ceased operations after 2019 due to various challenges,including the COVID-19 pandemic, leaving at-risk populations vulnerable once more. Population at risk in Lesotho is around 550,000.

STH infections are classified by the WHO as Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs), characterized by their prevalence in populations with limited access to adequate sanitation and healthcare facilities. These parasitic infections contribute to adverse health outcomes, particularly among children, impacting their nutrition, growth, and educational performance.

A multi-sectoral approach is key to effectively and sustainably controlling and eventually eliminating STH infections in Lesotho and other high-burden areas. It involves not just the health sector (like mass drug administration), but also other sectors that address the main causes of transmission, such as poor sanitation, unsafe water, and poor hygiene.

Dr. Dhruv Pandey, the Technical Expert on Tropical and Vector-Borne Diseases, WHO Multicounty Assignment Team for the Southern Africa Hub countries, emphasized that the discontinuation of MDA since 2019 could have a detrimental impact on both public health and socioeconomic development in Lesotho.

He stressed the need for renewed political and intersectoral commitment, stating:
“It is essential for the Ministry of Health to prioritize the resumption of MDA by initially integrating it within existing health programmes, such as immunization and HPV campaigns.STH is not merely a health issue; it is a social issue, influenced by multiple social determinants and should be addressed through coordinated action.”

Ntsoaki Mamoeketsi Mokete, National Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response (IDSR) Focal Person at the Ministry of Health, highlighted the significance of the newly developed operational manual.

“Developing the operational manual is an important step towards controlling and eliminating neglected tropical diseases in Lesotho,” Mokete said. She outlined future plans, including five years of continuous MDA followed by an impact assessment survey to determine the status of STHs in the country.

“Our next steps will be to continue with the MDA for five years,which will be followed by the impact assessment survey to determine the distribution of schistosomiasis and soil-transmitted helminths (STHs) among the general population. This will enable us to implement effective deworming strategies for the elimination of STH as a public health problem in the Kingdom of Lesotho.
In addition, we will focus on advocacy for the revitalization of school health programmes, developing NTD clinical guidelines, integrating NTDs into the IDSR strategy, and developing a coherent and well-coordinated approach in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and other related organizations.” 

The Ministry of Education and Training (MoET) also affirmed its commitment to the program. Mpheng Molapo, Coordinator of the Learner Care and Welfare Support Unit at MoET, underlined the direct benefits for students.

“The Ministry of Education strongly supports the implementation of the (MDA) for (STH) as a key public health intervention with direct impact on learner well-being, educational performance, and school attendance,” Molapo stated.

Dr. Pabolo Nonyane, District Veterinary Officer and National Focal Point for the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Nutrition, underscored the importance of the MDA to the agricultural sector.

She stated that: “This initiative is vital for achieving sustainable food and nutrition security, particularly within our high-risk agricultural communities. Farmers and herd boys are uniquely vulnerable due to their exposure to contaminated soil. By using this operational manual to protect their health, we preserve the human capital essential for our agricultural future. This effort truly reflects the ‘One Health’ principle, ensuring that our work on STH contributes not only to public health but also directly to Sustainable Development Goal 2: Zero Hunger.”

“The development of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for the MDA campaign against Soil-Transmitted Helminths is essential,” stated Matebele Setefane, UN-Water Global Analysis and Assessment of Sanitation and Drinking-Water (GLAAS) Focal Person, Ministry of Natural Resources.

“This manual provides a structured, standardized approach that ensures clarity of roles and alignment with broader health and Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) goals. Given that STH infections are strongly linked to inadequate sanitation and poor hygiene, integrating WASH elements into the MDA operational SOPs helps address not just treatment but also prevention.”

Setefane further emphasized the collaborative nature of the initiative: “The success of the MDA campaign depends not only on drug distribution but also on addressing the environmental drivers of STH transmission. Our ministry is committed to supporting the campaign through WASH integration, by collaborating with the Ministry of Health to ensure safe water access, functional sanitation facilities, and hygiene promotion are prioritized in targeted communities and schools.”

The workshop convened a multidisciplinary team, including representatives from the Ministries of Education, Nutrition, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), and Environment. This collaborative approach aims to ensure the operational manual is pragmatic and implementable across all levels of engagement, marking a critical step towards establishing a sustainable, multisectoral intervention for STH control and eventual elimination as a public health problem in Lesotho.  

WHO, working with other partners, has been instrumental in operationalizing the implementation of MDA in many countries, providing support at every stage of the process. This includes ensuring the sustainability of high-quality MDA, facilitating annual reporting, and conducting a comprehensive impact assessment after five years of optimal coverage.

Lesotho moves towards mass treatment of worm infections

NSCDC Promises to Keep Watch Over Recently Commissioned Projects in FCT

By: Michael Mike

Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has promised to keep watch over the newly commissioned projects in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.

The promise was given on Tuesday by the The FCT Commandant of the Corps, Dr. Olusola Odumosu while addressing his personnel on the need to be up and doing to ensure effective protection of the just commissioned projects executed by the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, supported by President Bola Tinubu.

Odumosu assured the government and residents of the FCT of increased vigilance and security for Critical National Asset and Infrastructure (CNAI) in the territory.

Odumosu, who charged his personnel to redoubled their efforts to justify the confidence reposed in the Corps, said the FCT Command is more determined than ever to make sure that the Critical National Assets and Infrastructure under their purview are given the necessary protection from criminal elements and vandals.

The Commandant, stated that the Corps being the lead agency in the protection of CNAI, either old or new, will not relent but rather redouble surveillance and patrol to avoid vandalism and theft.

He said: “We will not relent, rather, we have increased our surveillance and our routine patrol has been redoubled to ensure that those who are hoping to cause havoc or vandalize these infrastructure will be utterly disappointed by our presence”.

He assured the government and residents of the FCT that the Corps will do everything within its power to make sure the National infrastructure are properly protected to serve the purpose they were provided.

Odumosu urged residents of the FCT to support the Corps by providing the organization with vital information so they could serve them better.

He said: “Security of these infrastructure is the responsibility of all of us, we cannot achieve much without your involvement as end users, we need your support to keep this facilities safe at all times.

He urged FCT residents to report any case of Vandalism or suspicious movement of person or group of persons around the various infrastructure to the NSCDC office close to them or contact the FCT Command through its hotline 09166229882 or 08159066244.

The Commandant reiterated that “to whom much is given, much is expected”.
He therefore appealed to all well meaning Nigerians and the government to support the Corps by providing more operational vehicles, communication gadgets and motorbikes for easy accessibility of difficult terrains.

“FCT is big; we have patrol vehicles but because of the nature of security we are to provide, the vehicles available are insufficient, but that will not deter us from carrying out our assigned duties.

He however said additional vehicle will go along way to assist the FCT Command achieve a great feat.

NSCDC Promises to Keep Watch Over Recently Commissioned Projects in FCT