DR Congo to start phased measles, rubella vaccination, as Ebola outbreak eases

KINSHASA, Nov. 6 (Xinhua) -- The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) will launch a nationwide vaccination campaign against measles and rubella late November, covering almost all provinces, but in a phased approach, Health Minister Roger Kamba has said.

"It makes no sense to say that we are going to vaccinate everyone at once," Kamba told a press briefing Wednesday in Kinshasa, the capital. "Even in areas not yet reached, once a number of zones have been well vaccinated, we can already move forward."

"For these two diseases, measles and rubella, we are going to vaccinate almost all provinces. The introduction of the vaccine will take place at the end of this month, but we will do it by blocks," he said.

The first block, he said, will begin with the Grand Katanga region, Bas-Uele Province, Haut-Uele Province, and Ituri Province. "It is not because we do not want to, but simply because technically we cannot do it all at once."

According to the minister, the campaign plans to vaccinate more than 30 million children across the country.

Kamba acknowledged that access remains a challenge in areas under the control of March 23 Movement rebels.

He confirmed that talks are ongoing with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to create humanitarian corridors. "Not long ago, we were in New York with ICRC representatives and discussed the need for humanitarian corridors to deliver inputs -- whether medicines or vaccines."

"This requires negotiations with those who occupy parts of our country, to ensure we can vaccinate our children," the minister said.

Noting that the number of disease cases is often higher in occupied areas, Kamba urged efforts to free those territories and to allow humanitarian access for public health programs.

Turning to the latest Ebola outbreak, declared in early September in Kasai Province, he said the situation is under control.

"The last patient was discharged cured on Oct. 19. We currently have no hospitalized cases, and we are approaching 26 days without any new case," Kamba said. "We can say that, for now, Ebola is under control." ■