231 people died from measles in 2018: Health Ministry

SANAA, Feb. 3 (YPA) – Ministry of Public Health and Population in the National Salvation Government on Sunday revealed that the number of deaths from measles and rubella has amounted to 231 and more than 15,000 infected cases in 2018.

The ministry’s spokesman, Youssef al-Hadheri, said that the total number of cases of measles and rubella virus during the past year reached 15,361 cases, of whom 231 died.

“More than twice that number have died in their homes because they could not go to hospitals and health facilities for treatment,” al-Hadheri told the London-based newspaper al-Araby al-Jadeed.

The spokesman pointed out that the war and the siege imposed by Saudi-led coalition has led to the cessation and deterioration of many of the health facilities during the past four years.

Aden province, south of the country topped the list with the number of infected cases, followed by Saada province (north) and then Lahj and Shabwa provinces, al-Hadheri added.

Measles and rubella are serious viral diseases, which are transmitted by infection. Symptoms include high fever and skin rash, pneumonia and severe diarrhea leading to chronic dryness.

Al-Hadheri noted that measles has recently emerged in Yemen as a result of the deterioration of the health system in the country because of the war.

In cooperation with the World Health Organization (WHO), the Yemeni health authorities plan to implement a national immunization campaign against measles on February 9, lasting six days and targeting children aged from 6 months to 15 years.

In March 2018, UNICEF launched an immunization campaign against measles and rubella in 15 districts in the provinces of Aden, Lahj, Shabwa and Hadramout, describing the disease as a fatal childhood disease.

According to the organization, the disease can be prevented by immunizing the child with two doses of measles and rubella vaccine according to the schedule of the routine vaccination; first at the age of 9 months, and the second at the age of 18 months.

More than half of the health facilities in Yemen are out of service due to the escalating war since March 2015, according to the United Nations.

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