AFRICA/NIGERIA - Despite an overall drop in the number of deaths due to measles there is alarm for 76 deaths already this year

Rome (Fides Service) - One of the goals for this year 2005 adopted by the World Health Organisation and UNICEF is to halve the number of deaths caused by measles.
Although the number of mortal cases of measles in the 1999 - 2003 period dropped by 39%, from 873,000 to about 530,000, unfortunately in Africa despite a 50% drop in numbers of deaths, at least 76 people, mainly children, died in a recent outbreak of measles Adamawa state, north east Nigeria, for which hundreds of people were admitted to hospital.
According to the Nigerian health authorities up to 28 February no less than 1,118 cases of measles had been reported in the 12 districts of Adamawa state. Probable cases of measles, a pathology which causes the death of half a million people in sub Saharan Africa ever year, were also reported in other states of this most populated African country. (AP) (22/3/2005 Agenzia Fides; Righe:17; Parole;178)