Sani Babadoko
10 December 2007
Kaduna — An of Measles (Rubeola) has left over 200 children dead in Zaria City and its environs, while hundreds of other children are lying critically ill in both public and private hospitals in the area.
The child killer disease is now spreading to neigh-bouring local government areas such as Sabon Gari, Hunkuyi, Soba, Makarfi, Giwa, and Kubau where the rising number of those killed by the disease has not been made available to health officials.
The Zaria Local Government Area health co-ordin-ator, Dr. Aminu Gidado confirmed the outbreak of the disease in the area but stated that only scores of children have died so far.
Also speaking with newsmen in Kaduna, the state Commissioner for Information Alhaji Saidu Adamu stated that the government has responded swiftly by sending a team of health officials tagged, "Rapid Response Team" to curb the widespread of the disease.
Speaking in the same vein, the commissioner for Health, Dr. Everton Yari Peters, said that his ministry, apart from sending the Rapid Response Team to the affected areas, it has also sent about 8,000 dosages for routine immunisation to about 7,000 children.
However, the health commissioner further blamed some parents for refusing to take their children for immunisation or allow imm-unisation officials into their homes to vaccinate them attaching religious sentiments into it. The outbreak of the epidemic was first reported last month in many wards in the Zaria City and the environs which include Unguwar Fatika, Limanci, Kaura, Kusfa and Jushi.
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