The anti-vaccine movement in South Sudan, Africa, is by force, not choice. Measles is one of the leading causes of death among young children even though a safe and cost-effective vaccine is available.
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| Measles outbreak Africa mothers wait to vaccinate their babies |
Death by Measles in South Sudan
South
Sudan is being wracked by severe humanitarian health emergencies. The
destruction of health facilities and displacement of health workers have
stretched an already vulnerable health system to breaking point. Despite being
preventable, measles is still common in many parts of South Sudan Africa.
Measles
is an extremely infectious disease caused by the rubeola virus. In 1980, before
widespread vaccination, measles caused an estimated 2.6 million deaths each
year worldwide. Measles starts with fever, runny nose, cough, red eyes, and
sore throat followed by a rash that spreads over the entire body.
In
February 2014, WHO categorized South Sudan’s health crisis as a “Grade 3” – the
highest level of humanitarian emergency. More than 3500 cases, and 170 deaths
were reported in 2015. Almost all were recorded in displaced people’s camps or
refugee camps. Measles is one of the leading causes of death among young
children throughout Africa even though a safe and cost-effective vaccine is
available.
"South Sudan is a
challenging work environment because of insecurity and a limited ability to
access some of the country’s most vulnerable people," said Dr Abdulmumini
Usman, WHO Representative to South Sudan.
 |
| Almost all Measles cases were recorded in displaced people’s camps or refugee camps in South Sudan 2015. |
Severe measles is more likely among poorly nourished young children, especially those with insufficient vitamin A, or whose immune systems have been weakened by HIV/AIDS or other diseases.
In
the U.S., many parents started refusing to vaccinate their children from the measles
and decide to raise their children without vaccines. In 2015 officials in 14
states grappled to contain a spreading measles outbreak that began near California’s
Disneyland.
The anti-vaccine movement can largely be traced to a 1998 report in a medical journal that suggested a link between vaccines and autism but was later proved fraudulent and retracted.
Throughout South Sudan, infectious diseases such as measles pose a major public health challenge and cause significant levels of illness, disability and death for a country also caught in conflict. The country’s weak public health systems aggravate the situation to effectively respond to largely preventable disease outbreaks.
War, measles, and overcrowding
Frequent disease outbreaks are driven by multiple factors, including conflict leading to the displacement of people and overcrowding and poor environmental conditions.
The anti-vaccine movement can largely be traced to a 1998 report in a medical journal that suggested a link between vaccines and autism but was later proved fraudulent and retracted.
Throughout South Sudan, infectious diseases such as measles pose a major public health challenge and cause significant levels of illness, disability and death for a country also caught in conflict. The country’s weak public health systems aggravate the situation to effectively respond to largely preventable disease outbreaks.
 |
| Child given an oral polio vaccine in South Sudan |
War, measles, and overcrowding
Frequent disease outbreaks are driven by multiple factors, including conflict leading to the displacement of people and overcrowding and poor environmental conditions.
Armed conflicts
seriously affect health services and the environment. Health staff is reduced
because of flight, death or conscription in the military. Health care
infrastructure, medical supplies, equipment, sanitation, and water supplies are
often destroyed.
Delivery of health
services, especially preventive immunization such as the measles vaccine and
mother and childcare are obstructed. At the same time, displacements, war
trauma and physical injuries increase people's needs for health services and
medical care.
The almost complete
absence of health services worsens the situation of families whose living
conditions, food supply, and consumption are inadequate; consequently, a vicious
complex of malnutrition and poor resistance to infectious diseases is
initiated.
Measles is a highly
contagious infectious disease and large-scale population movements and the concentration of people in transit camps further aggravate the risk of susceptibility
to infection. Overcrowding and lack of adequate sanitation and water supplies
in camps can lead to the rapid spread of measles.
Mass immunization
campaigns in South Sudan
Due to insecurity,
the population of entire villages fled overnight and staff of non-governmental
organizations were evacuated, leaving no access to basic services. In March
2014, to reach internally displaced people and those most affected by the
ongoing conflict with lifesaving humanitarian assistance, and to re-open
humanitarian space, the World Food Programme (WFP) and the United Nations
Children's Fund (UNICEF) initiated an Integrated Rapid Response Mechanism
(IRRM).
This was designed to
address critical gaps in the provision of lifesaving humanitarian coverage and to
meet the needs of those who might otherwise be inaccessible by responding to
the rapidly changing environment on the ground.
By 2016, using
general food distribution registration as a platform for beneficiary
identification, WFP, and UNICEF had jointly deployed more than 90 joint IRRM
missions, mostly in the Greater Upper Nile region.
In 2017, the UNICEF
health section participated in IRRM missions providing preventive and curative
health services and supporting local partners through mass immunization
campaigns single dose of oral poliomyelitis vaccine, measles, tetanus toxoid
mobilization of the communities during general food distribution registration.
Over 1.4 million
people in hard-to-reach and isolated areas of South Sudan were given lifesaving
food and nutrition rations, paired with other critical services. The mass
immunization campaign results were:
·
92,900 children
6 months–15 years immunized against measles
·
109,800
children 0–15 years immunized against polio
·
17,300
pregnant women provided with tetanus toxoid vaccine
·
28,800 therapeutic
consultations
·
43,300
mosquito nets distributed
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| Mass immunization campaigns in South Sudan |
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