A measles outbreak has killed 80 children in Zimbabwe since April, the ministry of health has said. It blamed church sect gatherings for the surge.
In a statement accessed by news agency Reuters on Sunday, the ministry said the outbreak had now spread nationwide, with a case fatality rate of 6.9%.
Health Secretary Jasper Chimedza said that as of Thursday, 1,036 suspected cases and 125 confirmed cases had been reported since the outbreak, with Manicaland in eastern Zimbabwe accounting for most infections.
“The ministry of health and child care wishes to inform the public that the ongoing outbreak of measles which was first reported on 10th of April has since spread nationwide following church gatherings,” Chimedza mentioned in a statement.
“These gathering which were attended by people from different provinces of the country with unknown vaccination status led to the spread of measles to previously unaffected areas.”
Manicaland, the second most populous province in Zimbabwe, had 356 cases and 45 deaths, Chimedza said. Most reported cases are among children aged between six months and 15 from religious sects who are not vaccinated against measles due to religious beliefs, he added.
Bishop Andby Makuru, leader of Johanne Masowe apostolic sect, did not immediately respond to a request for comment by news agency Reuters.
A few apostolic church sects in Zimbabwe do not allow their followers to vaccinate or take any medical treatment. These churches attract millions of common people with their promises to heal illness and deliver from poverty.
