MASERU — A measles outbreak has killed seven children in Quthing district over the past month, the Ministry of Health said this week.
There were 76 suspected cases of the disease in the same district and 15 confirmed cases, according to the health ministry.
A total of 303 suspected cases have been reported in nine districts across Lesotho with 38 of these having been confirmed in the laboratory.
The assessment was from 21 January to February 22, 2010.
A spokesman for the Ministry of Health, Tumisang Mokoai, yesterday said the government had called for an emergency meeting on Monday to deal with the disease outbreak.
Mokoai said parents should take their children to health centres to be immunised against the disease.
“The only way to control this disease is for parents to take their children to health centres for a vaccination,” Mokoai said.
He said the emergency meeting was attended by officials from the health ministry, the World Health Organisation, the United Nations Children’s Fund and the Christian Health Association of Lesotho.
Mokoai said the purpose of the meeting was to find ways of addressing the emergency and contain the outbreak to prevent further deaths and complications.
The Ministry of Health says it had already sent rapid response teams to the five worst affected districts to deal with the disease.
The health ministry said it will this year speed up a national measles campaign to fight against the disease.
Measles is a highly contagious respiratory infection that is caused by a virus. It causes skin rash and flu-like symptoms, including fever, coughing and a runny nose.
While measles is best known for the full body rash it causes, the first symptoms of the infection are usually a hacking cough, runny nose, high fever and red eyes.
