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Measles Outbreak Kills More Than 4,000 in Congo This Year

Associated Press

   DAKAR, SENEGAL - More than 4,000 people have died in Congo this year in
   the world's largest measles outbreak, the United Nations children's
   agency said Wednesday.
   The Central African nation is also battling an Ebola outbreak that has
   killed about half that number since August 2018.
   Since January, more than 200,000 cases of measles have been reported
   across Congo, UNICEF said. More than 140,000 involve children under 5,
   who also make up nearly 90 percent of deaths.
   "We're facing this alarming situation because millions of Congolese
   children miss out on routine immunization and lack access to health
   care when they fall sick," said the UNICEF country representative,
   Edouard Beigbeder. "On top of that, a weak health system, insecurity,
   community mistrust of vaccines and vaccinators, and logistical
   challenges all contribute to a huge number of unvaccinated children at
   risk of contracting the disease."

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