Médecins Sans Frontières, an international non-governmental organization, is set to inoculate 80,000 children aged 6 months to 5 years across 11 wards in Zurmi against measles.
This is part of their rapid response to the recent measles outbreak reported in the Zurmi local government area of Zamfara State.
According to the spokesperson of the Zamfara State Ministry of Health, Sulaiman Isah, the primary objective is to rapidly halt measles transmission and prevent further fatalities.
Sulaiman stated that in addition to vaccinations, MSF teams are conducting malnutrition screenings using Mid-Upper Arm Circumference (MUAC) measurements, referring undernourished children to nearby health centers for vital treatment.
Zamfara State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Nafisa Muhammad Maradun, commended the efforts of Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) for the organization’s rapid response to the people of Zurmi Local Government.
“We are immensely grateful for MSF’s initiatives,” Dr. Maradun stated, commending the international medical humanitarian organization’s large-scale vaccination campaign launched this July in collaboration with the Ministry of Health.
“Their efforts are crucial in curbing the spread of this dangerous disease and protecting our children.” MSF teams were actively vaccinating children in a school today as part of the six-day campaign.
The urgent campaign comes as Zurmi LGA grapples with an alarming surge in measles cases.
By early May, over 1,600 suspected cases had been reported across all 11 wards, significantly exceeding typical levels and reaching epidemic proportions.
Many severely ill children also present with co-existing conditions such as eye infections, malaria, and poor nutrition, exacerbating their health.
To ensure widespread coverage, MSF is deploying both fixed vaccination sites and mobile teams to reach remote and hard-to-access communities.
The organization aims to vaccinate at least 95% of the target age group, a critical threshold for achieving community-wide protection and effectively stopping the outbreak.
