Consistency in measles immunisation programmes is emphasised as an effective way to curb the disease, a World Health Organisation (WHO) expert told health officials in Pretoria on Friday.
”We must facilitate the service delivery level of the measles vaccine, which is a very effective one that has been around for over 40 years,” said Robert Kezaala, epidemiologist for the WHO regional office for Africa.
He was speaking at the first meeting of South Africa’s newly formed National Health Council.
Kezaala said the half-a-million measles deaths in Africa are preventable if structures exist that can effectively deliver the vaccine to those who need it, and if single instances of the disease are reported speedily.
”With measles, if there is one case reported, it must have come from somewhere and not just fallen from the sky. When these single cases are reported quickly, health officials can act before more cases occur in an area,” he said.
Even in areas where it seems that measles is under control or completely eradicated, it is important that follow-up programmes prevent indigenous transmission of the disease.
Using the example of Sao Paulo, Brazil, which appeared to have eliminated measles in the 1980s, Kezaala said failure to do follow-up programmes there resulted in an outbreak of about 5 000 cases between 1997 and 1998.
Johann van den Heever, national manager of the Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI), gave a presentation on challenges facing the EPI in which he emphasised the role of immunisation as a cost-effective health intervention.
The challenges, he said, include the inconsistent use of Road to Health cards, which track the immunisation record of children below five years old. He said the cards are sometimes illegally used to obtain grants.
Minister of Health Manto Tshabalala-Msimang and Van den Heever both said the data collection of the EPI can be greatly enriched by the participation of hospitals in the treatment of measles and in the reporting of measles cases to the relevant authorities.
The health minister said it is important that not only clinics, but hospitals too, participate in measles treatment, as there is a perception by some hospitals that they do not need to do so. — Sapa