Three children have died following a measles outbreak in Katakwi District, prompting health authorities to intensify surveillance and urge parents to ensure their children receive routine immunisation. The deaths were recorded at Katakwi General Hospital, where the children had been admitted and isolated in the hospital’s measles ward.
District leaders say Katakwi is one of two districts in the Teso sub-region that the Ministry of Health has identified as experiencing a measles outbreak. According to Katakwi District LCV Chairperson Geoffrey Omolo, the outbreak has so far been confirmed in the sub-counties of Getom, Katakwi, Usuk and Guyaguya. Measles is a highly contagious viral disease that spreads through the air when an infected person coughs, sneezes, talks or breathes.
The virus can remain suspended in the air for up to two hours after an infected person has left a room. Authorities are urging residents to support government immunisation programmes by ensuring that children receive routine vaccinations to prevent further spread of the disease.
Omolo also appealed to communities and religious groups that oppose childhood immunisation to reconsider their position, saying low vaccination uptake contributes to outbreaks and puts children’s lives at risk. The Ministry of Health has since deployed response teams to contain the outbreak and prevent further infections. URN