BARMM declares measles outbreak with over 1,400 cases

The Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) has recorded 1,481 measles-rubella cases as of March 16, 2024, constituting over half of the total cases in the Philippines.

The BARMM Ministry of Health declared a measles outbreak on March 22, with most cases involving unvaccinated individuals and three deaths attributed to the disease in Lanao del Sur and Sulu.

A joint immunization drive by the DOH, BARMM Ministry of Health, WHO Philippines, and UNICEF Philippines is scheduled from April 1 to 12.

This campaign aims to vaccinate over 1.3 million children aged 6 months to 10 years in BARMM, with UNICEF procuring one million doses of vaccines for the region.

Health workers will concentrate on densely populated areas such as Maguindanao del Norte, Lanao del Sur, and Marawi City during the vaccination campaign.

Children aged 6 to 59 months will receive one dose of vitamin A, while those with confirmed measles cases will receive two doses to prevent complications and boost immunity.