BACK FROM THE FIELD: Bérengère Gais. Measles vaccination in Haut-Lomami, DRC (ENG)

In November, MSF set up an emergency vaccination campaign in Haut-Lomami
to respond to a widespread measles epidemic that had broken out several months previously.
The MSF emergency team vaccinated 64230 children.

MSF262862

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BACK FROM THE FIELD: Bérengère Gais. Measles vaccination in Haut-Lomami, DRC (FR)

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BACK FROM THE FIELD: Bérengère Gais. Measles vaccination in Haut-Lomami, DRC (INT)

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Unique Identifier Code / URN MSF262862

Date taken / Date Recorded 05/03/2019 12:00 AM

Country Democratic Republic of Congo

Commissioning section MSF-FRANCE

Photographer / videographer / producer Mohammad Ghannam

Usage Rights (MSF) MSF Publications, Social Media

Formal Consent Copy available no

Editor's rating ★★★★★ (C)

Video format h264 (Main) (avc1 / 0x31637661)

Duration 2m38s

Maximum Size 1920px × 1080px 253.49 MB

Additional Information / Shotlist Bérengère Guais, MSF project coordinator
BACK FROM THE FIELD - Katanga, DRC
Filmed 5 mars 2019 in Paris

In November, MSF set up an emergency vaccination campaign in Haut-Lomami
to respond to a widespread measles epidemic that had broken out several months previously.
MSF already had teams working in many of the region’s health districts.

Bérengère Guais, MSF project coordinator

Given the scale of the epidemic, emergency teams were needed and, at the end of November, we arrived in three health districts very hard to reach as they’re 3 to 4 days by road from the main town Lubumbashi. We set up a vaccination campaign in Malemba-Nkulu, a health district very badly affected by measles as every week there were over 400 new cases.
We vaccinated 64,000 children.
Measles has broken out in 11 of Haut-Lomami’s 16 health districts.
But as we did our work in this region that used to be called Katanga Province, we soon realised we couldn’t limit our intervention to measles alone because there were other medical problems—malnutrition and malaria, both relatively endemic in the region due to its remoteness and the lack of drugs. We decided to focus on treating children with malnutrition and malaria because so many are very seriously ill.
We found extremely high levels of infant mortality—above the emergency threshold as defined by the World Health Organisation. So, we decided to provide paediatric treatment rather than organise a vaccination campaign that would’ve necessitated several weeks of preparation and vast logistical resources in areas which are extremely difficult to access given they’re are surrounded by a lake that has to be crossed in pirogues or small boats. We also have to use motorbikes.
We provide support to four Ministry of Health hospitals.
After two months, we’ve provided intensive treatment to around 1,000 critically ill children under the age of five.
It’s important to address these needs at the same as we manage the measles epidemic. Provision of medical treatment is problematic due to the huge distances and health districts that have no drugs.
SLATE
The MSF emergency team vaccinated 64230 children against measles in Haut-Lomami province, in DRC

Keywords

Coordination Staff

Measles

Measles Vaccination Campaign

Media Interview