DR Congo: Measles epidemic has killed more people in seven months than Ebola in one year, says MSF

2,700 deaths between January and early August. The charity Médecins sans Frontières (MSF) reported in a tweet Friday that the measles epidemic in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has killed more people in seven months than the Ebola virus disease has in a year.

"The measles epidemic declared on June 10 is the deadliest that the DRC has known since 2011-2012," the organization said, adding that "between January and early August 2019, it infected more than 145,000 people and resulted in 2,750 deaths. "

The #rougeole epidemic declared on June 10 is the deadliest #RDC since 2011-2012. Between January and early August 2019, it infected more than 145,000 people and resulted in 2,750 deaths. #RDC pic.twitter.com/DgIWLhhNaz

Lack of actors and funds

"Despite the scale of the measles epidemic in the DRC, there is an alarming lack of actors and funds" adds the humanitarian medical organization in a second tweet.

"With $ 2.5 million mobilized out of the $ 8.9 million required for the response plan, the contrast with the Ebola emergency, which attracts hundreds of millions of dollars, is striking."

An observation on which Karel Janssens, chief of mission of MSG Congo insisted Saturday. "While a rapid and adapted response is crucial to contain the impact of measles on populations, on the ground there is the lack of actors and therefore a flagrant lack of necessary assistance" she regrets. In the last tweet of this series, MSF Congo warns. "Unless a massive mobilization of funds and actors, the measles crisis in the DRC could worsen further."

Unless there is a massive mobilization of funds and actors, the #Rouge crisis in #RDC could worsen further. If we want to control this deadly epidemic, it is imperative to strengthen the response now. pic.twitter.com/4bhZT8DCs8

More deadly than Ebola and cholera combined

Médecins sans Frontières is fighting the measles epidemic in 13 provinces of DR Congo alongside local teams of the Congolese Ministry of Health. The measles epidemic is reported in 23 of the 26 provinces in the country, health authorities said in June.

Since the beginning of the year, MSF has declared that it has vaccinated 474,863 children (measles reaches mainly children from the age of 5-6 months and young adults, Ed) and cares for 27,439 patients.

Since its declaration on August 1, 2018, the Ebola virus disease has totaled 1,905 deaths, according to the latest assessment of Congolese health authorities from Wednesday, August 14.

In mid-July, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned that the measles epidemic was killing nearly as much as the other two epidemics combined: Ebola and cholera.

Measles had then killed 1,981, as against 1,676 for Ebola and 279 for cholera.

With AFP