At least 60 are reported to have been infected with measles at some Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps in Benue state.
The measles, Blueprint learnt, has affected mostly children under age of five.
It was gathered that while over 30 of the affected persons are from the Ortese IDP camp in Guma local government area of the state, the rest cut across the other IDPs camps in the state.
Executive Secretary State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Emmanuel Shior, who spoke to journalists on the development, confirmed the incident but said, government, through the Ministry of Health is on top of the situation.
He explained that, during hot seasons, camps usually experience challenges of measles.
According to him, the ministry is collaborating with SEMA, Doctors Without Borders, MSF, UNICEF and the International Committee for the Red Cross, who are supporting SEMA in the area of WASH.
“So, we are addressing the concern,” he added.
Meanwhile, Benue Project Coordinator, Medicines Sans Frontieres (MSF), Mitch Rhyner, who also confirmed the incident, said he did not readily have the figures of the affected persons at hand.
He said, “I don’t have the most recent figures. I can’t say the number of positive cases. As far as we know, the number has been relatively stable over the past week, but it’s so important that preventive measures are taken.
“I can say that the Emergency Operation Center (EOC) has been activated by the Ministry of health and they are now proposing to do a vaccination campaign from March to April
“Both Daudu 3 and Ortese have had mass vaccination campaigns in the past year and that is being led by the ministry of health; MSF have provided support, mostly, logistical supports in those vaccination campaigns, but it seems as though some of those vaccines were intended for children younger than five and those being infected by measles are older than five.
“So that’s one of the reasons for shifting forward the date of vaccination, because that’s one of the most effective ways to prevent further spread.
“We’ve referred several suspected measles cases to BSUTH and from there samples have been collected and sent to Abuja for testing.”
