Measles outbreak kills 700 children in Zimbabwe as authorities blame anti-vax sects

Almost 700 children in Zimbabwe have died from a widespread measles outbreak, the country’s health ministry has announced.

The total death toll of 698 is more than four times the 157 deaths reported in August by the health ministry, which suggests that the deaths have rapidly increased over the past fortnight.

On September 1, a total of 37 children died of the highly infectious disease, the ministry added.

Since the start of the outbreak in April, a total of 6,291 cases of measles have been counted to date.

Most of the children who have died were from families whose religious beliefs forbade vaccination, information minister Monica Mutsvangwa said last month.

Medical practitioners are calling for a new law to make vaccination against measles compulsory.

Dr Johannes Marisa, the president of the Medical and Dental Private Practitioners of Zimbabwe Association, told The Associated Press that the government should escalate an ongoing mass vaccination campaign and launch awareness programmes targeted at anti-vaccine Christian sects.

He said: “Because of the resistance education may not be enough, so the government should also consider using coercive measures to ensure that no one is allowed to refuse vaccination for their children.”

Dr Marisa urged the government to “consider enacting legislation that makes vaccination against killer diseases such as measles mandatory”.

The government has launched a mass vaccination campaign targeting children aged between six months and 15 years old, and has employed the help of traditional and faith leaders to promote vaccination.

The measles outbreak was first reported in the eastern Manicaland province in early April and has since spread to all parts of Zimbabwe.

That month, the World Health Organisation warned of an increase in measles in poorer countries as a result of a disruption of services caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

Last week the government of Zimbabwe said in a statement its vaccination drive continued throughout the pandemic, but that it was hampered by church gatherings that resumed following the easing of Covid-19 restrictions.

Measles is among the most infectious diseases in the world and mostly spreads in the air by coughing, sneezing or close contact.

The risk of unvaccinated children contracting a severe case of the disease or dying is high, according to health officials.