The national department of health has warned of a possible measles outbreak, cautioning the risk remains high following decreased uptake of childhood vaccination during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The WHO said in 2021, 13 countries reported yellow fever outbreaks in the African region, compared to nine in 2020 and three in 2019. Inequalities in accessing vaccines, disruptions by the Covid-19 pandemic, including a huge strain on health system capacities, impaired routine immunisation services in many African countries and forced the suspension of vaccination drives.
“As Africa works hard to defeat Covid-19, we must not forget other health threats. Health systems could be severely strained not only by Covid-19 but by other diseases. Vaccines are at the heart of a successful public health response, and as countries restore services, routine immunisation must be at the core of revived and resilient health systems.”
A media roundtable held by Pfizer last week to mark world immunisation week heard there is an urgent need to address the decline in childhood vaccination rates to avoid diseases such as measles, diarrhoea, diptheria, tetanus, hepatitis B, meningitis and pneumonia.