Measles outbreak 2017

Berry Ropa – current outbreak coordinator – says to date, the district has had 57 cases, six of which have been confirmed from the laboratory and 2 unconfirmed deaths.  

A team has been dispatched into the district to carry out a verbal autopsy to determine the cause of death.

But for now, Ropa says the National Department of Health has been working closely with the provincial health authority and other partners on ground, and have managed to contain this contagious disease within the district.

The National Department of Health has confirmed this, reporting three villages in Vanimo-Green District affected.

NDoH also noted a quick response from the provincial team in sending a vaccination crew to schools and villages to vaccinate children enrolled from grades 1-8 and under five within the catchment area.

In a statement, Secretary for Health, Pascoe Kase, confirmed the province has 18,000 doses of measles vaccine available for the targeted population.