The province of Kasai-Oriental did not record a measles epidemic last year. However, in this year 2025, a few isolated cases were reported, said Dr. Jean-Pierre Sumba, a doctor responsible for the fight against this disease in the province on Monday 5 May. It attributes this improvement to the preventive measures put in place.
Epidemiological surveillance is one of the strategies that made it possible to avoid the occurrence of measles in 2024 in the province of Kasai-Oriental, supports Doctor Jean-Pierre Sumba, coordinator of the fight against measles in this province.
« Measures is a disease that heavily affects the province because it affects many children when it occurs. Fortunately, in 2024, we did not experience an epidemic. This situation is due to the effective monitoring implemented. We closely follow each case declared in the province, we carry out investigations, we analyze the situation and we ensure patient care. This is what allowed us to contain the disease and prevent it from becoming an epidemic in Kasai-Oriental ”explains Dr. Sumba.
The doctor insists on the importance of prevention: “Prevention is based above all on the vaccination of all children. But it is not enough. We have adopted strategies that allow us to act quickly as soon as a suspect case of measles is reported. We do not remain arms crossed. The health area concerned immediately conducts investigations, and samples are sent to Kinshasa to confirm the diagnosis ”.
He adds that during this period, medical teams are deployed in the field to identify possible cases with similar symptoms, in order to take care of them and prevent the spread of the disease in the province.
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