Amid Deadly Measles Outbreak in Zimbabwe,

International Medical Corps Helps Launch Nationwide

Immunization Campaign; More Than 80% of All
Children Inoculated

Contact:
Crystal Wells
Communications Officer
International Medical Corps
cwells@internationalmedicalcorps.org
617.913.0794 (c)

October 20, 2010, Harare, Zim babwe – After nearly a country-wide

measles epidemic left more than 500 people dead, International Medical Corps
joined forces with other global donors and organizations to help support
Zimbabwe’s Ministry of Health and Child Welfare (MOHCW) in launching a
nationwide immunization campaign and survey of affected areas. The initiative
was a response to the recurring measles outbreak that began in September
2009 and quickly spread to 59 of the country’s 62 districts.

“Nearly 10 percent of all infections were fatal,” says Dr. Marco Cernuschi, public
health coordinator for International Medical Corps in Zimbabwe. “This is a figure
that far exceeds the emergency threshold for a preventable disease like measles
and exemplifies the tremendous public health needs in Zimbabwe.”

The immunization campaign covered between 83 and 100 percent of children

across all provinces. However, reports of sporadic outbreaks still exist,
particularly in areas where communities resist modern medical treatment. While
MOHCW continues to investigate the causes of the continuous outbreaks,
International Medical Corps conducted a survey in Mbire, one of the five districts
that suffered an outbreak just last month.

In its assessment, International Medical Corps found major hurdles to ongoing

vaccination campaigns. Nearly all of the clinics surveyed in Mbire, for instance,
had the full complement of vaccines needed to immunize against measles.
However, International Medical Corps found all health facilities to be dependent
on gas-operated refrigerators to maintain the cold chain for the vaccines,
something many clinics could not afford.

“Gas is an ongoing challenge for many of these facilities and, without it, there
cannot be cold chain,” says Cernuschi. “For one, there is no reliable vehicle in
Mbire district to replenish gas and then, even if there was, it would have to
travel at least 200 km to reach the closest fueling station.”
Following the survey, International Medical Corps committed to repair and supply
fuel in two vehicles in Mbire and Mt. Darwin, another of the affected districts.
“Having functional vehicles will help Ministry staff move throughout the area to
monitor the outbreak,” says Cernuschi.

With the support of the European Commission Humanitarian Aid Office (ECHO),
International Medical Corps will also produce health education materials on
measles for the MOHCW for distribution in the affected areas, and is committed
to responding to further outbreaks.

International Medical Corps is also assisting in the responses to measles

outbreaks that occurred this past month in the districts of Mazowe, Mt. Darwin,
Rushinga, and Centenary.

Since its inception nearly 25 years ago, International Medical Corps’ mission has
been consistent: relieve the suffering of those impacted by war, natural disaster,
and disease, by delivering vital health care services that focus on training. This
approach of helping people help themselves is critical to returning devastated
populations to self-reliance. For more information, visit:
www.InternationalMedicalCorps.org.