Measles behind Myanmar outbreak that has killed 30Myanmar health officials have confirmed that a measles outbreak is behind the deaths of more than 30 people, mostly children, in a remote part of the country as authorities rush to treat victims. Last year, with the help of the World Health Organization and the UN, Myanmar embarked on a mass vaccination programme with the aim of eradicating measles and rubella by 2020. Than Tun Aung, deputy director general of the disease control department at Myanmar’s health ministry, said labwork from the worst hit town of Lahal had come back positive for measles. The outbreak has struck the far corner of Myanmar’s northern Sagaing region, a remote and mountainous area which borders eastern India and is populated by people from the Naga tribes. He said they had confirmed a total of 31 deaths in Lahal region, half of whom were under 15.

Source: Manila Bulletin August 06, 2016 03:33 UTC