RSOE Emergency and Disaster Information Service

Situation Update No. 2

Posted:2010-02-02, 14:54:30 [UTC]

Ref.no.: EP-20100202-24770-NGA

Situation Update No. 2
On 2010-03-12 at 12:13:58 [UTC]

Event: Epidemic
Location: Nigeria State of Bayelsa Southern Ijaw Local Government Area (LGA)

Number of Deads: 40 person(s)

Over 40 children have died in a renewed measles outbreak that ravaged nine communities in Southern Ijaw local government area of Bayelsa State. The affected communities are Angiama, Oporoma, Ikebiri, Ondewari, Korokorosei, Ogboinbiri, Okpotuwari, Umbugbene, and Oweikoroghe. Close sources in the area informed Daily Champion that Ondewari community is the worse affected by the latest scourge that hit the area since the beginning of the month. No fewer than twelve children between the ages of two and four, as well as teenagers were reportedly killed last month in Oweikurogha community following an outbreak of the disease, contrary to claims by the state government that it had curtailed recent outbreak of measles in the community from spreading to neighbouring areas. Meanwhile, a non governmental organisation, NGO the Environmental Rights Action (ERA)/Friends of the Earth said the team that visited the communities was shocked at the alarming rate at which the disease was spreading. The Field Officer, Moris Alagoa who stated this in a chat with Daily Champion said there was need for urgent medical supplies and personnel to move to the communities to stop the death of innocent children, adding that the local government administration had the responsibility of first line response to control child mortality in Southern Ijaw.

The state Commissioner for Health, Azipabu Godbless Eruani who could not confirm the latest outbreak and the death toll, however said medical personnel had been dispatched to the affected communities to investigate the claims. He described the scourge as an international problem, even as he was silent on the casualty figure. Ondewari is said to have a health centre currently under construction which was started last month after news of the epidemic broke in the area, while the rest affected communities have none. It was gathered that when the measles attack hit the communities, some hapless parents resorted to self-help by either personally injecting their measles-stricken children or engaging the service of a relative or neighbour as no medical personnel was available to administer relevant treatment on the victims. Secretary of Ondewari Community, Tontiemotei Yeiyei, said the measles outbreak was overwhelming, adding that in all of his life, he had never witnessed such shock. Hear him, "I am over forty years and I have spent a greater part of my life in this town. But I must confess that we have not experienced this kind of situation before. It is not as if we have not had other health problems. "But in all, we have not seen this type that has claimed the lives of many children. Just within two months this community alone has lost about forty (40) children between the ages of two and four years."