健康英语新闻:WHO launches vaccination campaign against Measles in Somalia

GENEVA, Aug. 19 (Xinhua) -- The World Health Organization (WHO) and the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) started an emergency vaccination campaign in all accessible areas of South and Central Somalia, WTO spokesperson Tarek Jasarevic said here on Friday.

In July 2011 alone, 1,019 suspected measles cases and 31 related deaths were reported in South and Central Somalia, representing 20 percent of all reported cases for this year.

The major factors for a measles outbreak in Somalia are low coverage, malnutrition, population movements, and overcrowed internally displaced (IDP) camps.

"WHO fears that the measles outbreak could affect a high number of people, especially among the vulnerable IDPs whose overall health is already fragile," Jasarevic said.

About 2.5 million children aged between 6 and 15 in 10 regions of South and Central Somalia, including children in Mogadishu, will be targeted during this campaign.