Measles outbreak amidst COVID-19 pandemic in Africa: grappling with looming crises

Tropical Medicine and Health

Emmanuel Adebowale Fajemisin¹  Olayinka Olajiga²  Anthony Chinonso Uwandu-Uzoma³  Abdulhammed Opeyemi Babatunde⁴  Abdullahi Tunde Aborode⁵  Bright-Agbonze Samuel Osayomwanbor⁶  Oko Christian Inya⁷ 

[1] Department of Biochemistry, Federal University of Technology, Akure, Nigeria;Department of Entomology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, USA;Faculty of Health studies, School of Nursing and Healthcare Leadership, University of Bradford, West Yorkshire, UK;Healthy Africans Platform, Research and Development, Ibadan, Nigeria;Department of Medicine and Surgery, Faculty of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria;Healthy Africans Platform, Research and Development, Ibadan, Nigeria;Student Against COVID-19, Research and Education, New York, USA;Infection Prevention and Control Programme, School of Nursing and Health Science, University of Dundee, Dundee, Scotland, UK;Institute of Applied Health Research, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK;

关键词: COVID-19;    Measles;    Africa countries;    Vaccination;    Double burden;    Pandemic;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s41182-021-00375-3

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and measles are major threats to the health and wellbeing of Africans. Measles is an endemic disease in Africa with a high mortality rate especially in children despite available vaccines. This letter aims to discuss the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on prevention and management of measles in Africa. The emergence of COVID-19 has exacerbated the morbidities of measles due to multi-factors like the disruption of mass measles routine vaccination, a monopolistic focus on COVID-19 eradication, malnutrition, and poor surveillance. Currently, the COVID-19 pandemic and looming measles epidemic pose a double burden on the African health sector. We recommend urgent interventions from government and other stakeholders including community leaders to strengthen measles research and vaccination programs in Africa amidst the pandemic.

【 授权许可】

CC BY