Twenty-one people have died from diphtheria in the Rohingya camps in Bangladesh, the World Health Organization said Tuesday, adding that it had started a second vaccination drive to rein in the outbreak.
According to the UN health agency, 1,571 suspected cases of the bacterial disease were registered in the Rohingya refugee camps of southeast Bangladesh between November 10 and December 17.
More than 655,000 Rohingya Muslims have poured into these camps after fleeing a brutal crackdown in Myanmar in recent months.
“Twenty-one deaths have been reported among the Rohingya population in Cox’s Bazar,” WHO spokeswoman Fadela Chaib told reporters in Geneva, adding that about 20 percent of the suspected cases were children under the age of five.
Diphtheria is a highly contagious disease that mainly affects the nose and throat and can cause breathing problems, and can be fatal if left untreated, but has become increasingly rare in recent decades because of high vaccination rates.
Bangladesh authorities began an initial vaccination campaign on December 12, targeting children aged six weeks to six years.
Chaib said the second campaign was launched on Sunday, targeting children aged seven to 15.
FOLLOW US ON:
Connect with Joshua Osagie (Blog owner)
WHEN ON WEB VIEW, SEE OUR TOP LEFT AND RIGHT SIDE BAR FOR LIVE STREAM NEWS CHANNELS (GLOBAL AND NIGERIAN )
LIKE US ON FACEBOOK
FOLLOW US ON:
> The Forefront on Twitter
>{Instagram: the_forefront_nigeria }
Connect with Joshua Osagie (Blog owner)
Share this post now with others on social media. Use media options below.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Disclaimer!!! Opinions expressed in comments do not represent THE FOREFRONT MEDIA NG's views. All participants are entitled to their opinions. Thank you!!!
Advertise on the Forefront: For advert placement in the blog or advert posts like news updates, reach +2348124620827 [WhatsApp].
Copyright 2023 The Forefront Media Ng. All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from The Forefront Media Ng