1.6 Mln Children in Zambia to be Immunised Against Measles

To combat one of the worst outbreaks of measles , Zambia has plans to immunise 1.6 million children against measles this week, Health Minister Kapembwa Simbao said.

"We are targeting to immunise 1.6 million children against measles and another 1.2 million against polio, and we shall administer vitamin A supplements to 2.3 million children," Simbao said.

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An outbreak of measles has killed 88 people in Zambia over the last two months, with the capital Lusaka the hardest-hit part of the country. It is the worst outbreak of the disease in seven years.

Simbao said that the total budget for the programme was about three million dollars (2.4 million euros) to vaccinate children aged four months to five years.

"Our aim is to eradicate preventable diseases like measles," Simbao said.

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Zambia's health services generally have suffered from corruption and mismanagement of finances leading to some donors to suspend aid.

Last month, the Global Fund suspended more than 300 million dollars in health assistance to Zambia because of concerns about corruption.

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The freeze, which was likely to affect the country's fight against AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria, comes a year after Sweden and the Netherlands suspended 33 million dollars in health aid after five million dollars went missing.

Source-AFP

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