WHO warns measles threatens to kill 6,000 kids in Philippines

Nov 13, 2007, 10:17 GMT

Manila - Measles could kill up to 6,000 children every year in the Philippines unless the government steps up a campaign to vaccinate most kids in the country, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned on Tuesday.

The health body issued the warning after it found that the one-month anti-measles campaign of the Philippines' Department of Health has so far only reached 20 per cent of the targeted 8.9 million children aged 9 months to 3 years.

With only two weeks left in the campaign, the WHO warned that measles outbreaks, which have plagued the country for almost a year, will continue to spread unless a greater number of children are vaccinated.

Soe Nyunt-U, WHO representative to the Philippines, said the country would only be considered measles-free if every village vaccinates at least 95 per cent of its children.

'Failure to do so will result in the return of an estimated 6,000 deaths a year of Filipino children from this preventable disease,' he warned.

The WHO noted that based on its assessment, only one in five villages in the Philippines has reached at least 95-per cent vaccination coverage.

'WHO concluded that eligible children are missed because vaccination teams are using the highly effective door-to-door strategy in only one in five villages,' the health body said in a statement.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque acknowledged the slow progress of the campaign and called for 'greater cooperation and more intense efforts to achieve the targets.'

He also urged vaccination teams to search door-to-door to find and vaccinate every children, as well as all governors, mayors, health officers and staff to join in the campaign to make the Philippines free of measles.