Measles is a dangerous disease, which is easily infectious among children under the age of 20.

The Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Dr Mphu Ramatlapeng made this remark when officially launching an Integrated Measles Campaign at Semonkong on Thursday.

Dr. Ramatlapeng said, the disease's symptoms include high temperatures on children, coughing, sneezing, rash, transparent mucus and reddish eyes which are sensitive to light.

The Minister urged parents with children aged six months to five years, who were not able to bring their kids for measles immunisation due to rainy weather, to bring them in numbers now that it has stopped.

'The disease is dangerous when it has spread and its symptoms are worse and result in itching ears, asthma and pneumonia. The last stages of symptoms are hearing impairment and mental retardation,' she commented.

However, she pointed out that the disease could be easily prevented by immunising children at the age of nine months with two stages.

She said her Ministry is concerned by the low turn-up of children, who are brought at immunisation centres for measles every year.

Dr Ramatlapeng revealed that statistics show that for the past three years, children who are immunised against measles fall below 80 percent, adding that according to the World Health Organisation (WHO), this means every year, the number of children who are not immunised increases.

'This could eventually result in measles outbreak countrywide,' she added.

Furthermore she noted that the campaign aims to ensure that every child is immunised against the disease and that it is controlled even before it could break.

She highlighted that during the campaigns against measles, children aged between nine months up to five will be immunised, while those aged between six and up to five will be provided with Vitamin A tablets.

While children aged a year and five years will be given tablets which will treat worms, hence parents are expected to take their children to the immunisation centres during the campaigns.

On the other hand, a joint statement from the WHO and United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) Country Representatives in Lesotho read by Dr Angela Benson said, the day's launch of the national campaign marked an important step forward in their efforts towards fighting measles in Lesotho, in line with the global elimination strategy.

'We want measles to be a disease of the past. Today we say no (Mosotho) child should be affected by this deadly but preventable disease,' she remarked.

Dr Benson noted that the ongoing campaign is a major achievement for Lesotho and will serve as an example for the future health campaigns.

She said it would lay the groundwork for accelerating measles control and ultimately reducing measles mortality.

However, she said the challenge thereafter is to maintain high coverage in Lesotho through a strengthened routine immunisation programme, adding that the activity was part of a larger global effort to halve the number of measles deaths by 2008.

Some of the parents who brought their children for measles immunisation said they were relieved that their children were now immune from the disease and urged those who did not take their children to do so before the campaign ends.

Mrs. 'Marampeo Makutla said she has seen children suffering from the disease and appealed to parents to make sure that their children are immunised against measles.

The campaign which commenced on Monday in the Highlands areas such as Mokhotlong, 'Mamohau, Qacha's Nek, Tebellong, Thaba-Tseka and Semonkong will end on Friday.

And next week Monday to Friday another campaign will kick start to cover lowlands areas.

There are 3 700 children expected to be immunized against measles at Semonkong area alone and 220 000 children nationwide.

Source: LENA 11/10/2007