Johannesburg — Thousands of children in Zimbabwe, who were not covered in last year's measles immunisation campaign, are expected to benefit from a follow-up programme set to kick off on 21 July, the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) said on Monday.

The UN agency has made available US $257 million to the Ministry of Health and Child Welfare to cover 16 districts across the country.

In July 2002 a 10-day immunisation campaign reached only 80 percent of its target of 2 million children under the age of five, UNICEF health consultant Eugen Manyora told IRIN.

"Last year there was a shortage of resources such as syringes and needles. Also, a resource-strapped awareness campaign can be attributed to the programme's failure to meet its goal."

It was possible that the original target of 2 million children, based on 1992 census data, was over-estimated and population growth may actually have declined since then as a result of the socio-economic crisis the country was facing, Manyora added.

"While mortality among children has dramatically declined, morbidity continues to be a problem," Manyora commented.

Measles is the leading killer disease among children in Zimbabwe.