Bolivia declares national health emergency due to measles outbreak

On June 24, Bolivia declared a national health emergency to respond to a measles outbreak with 60 confirmed cases in several regions of the country.

A girl with measles. (Illustration: WHO)

Bolivian President Luis Arce announced on social media: "After convening an emergency meeting of the National Strategy Council to respond to the measles epidemic with a high risk of spreading, we have decided to declare a national health emergency, resolutely protecting the health and lives of the Bolivian people."

This emergency measure aims to contain the spread of the virus through a mass vaccination campaign and a coordinated plan with local, regional and international authorities.

The national health emergency aims to strengthen states' response capacity, activate coordination protocols and ensure access to vaccination, especially for children under 5 years of age, according to Luis Arce.

President Luis Arce called on citizens to cooperate with health authorities and comply with the full vaccination schedule.

Health Minister Maria Renee Castro warned that measles can cause serious complications such as pneumonia, encephalitis or even death, especially in children who are malnourished or immunocompromised.

Maria Renee Castro reminded parents to get their children vaccinated. There are currently 500,000 doses of measles vaccine in the country reserved for children, the Bolivian Health Minister added.

The resurgence of measles in Bolivia after years of control reflects a worrying decline in vaccination rates in the country due to disruptions to health services during the Covid-19 pandemic as well as misinformation in measles prevention programs.

Bolivian health officials warn that if people are not fully vaccinated, the epidemic could get worse in the coming weeks.

DINH DUC

According to Xinhua News Agency

Source: https://nhandan.vn/bolivia-tuyen-bo-tinh-trang-khan-cap-quoc-gia-ve-suc-khoe-do-dich-soi-bung-phat-post889345.html