Rabat – Morocco is dealing with a rising measles outbreak, locally known as “Bouhemroun,” having reported 19,515 cases since October 2023.
Health Minister Amine Tahraoui shared these figures during a parliamentary session on December 30, pointing to an incidence rate of 52.5 cases per 100,000 people.
The disease has claimed 107 lives to date, accounting for 0.55% of the reported cases. Alarmingly, half of the fatalities involved children under 12, noting the vulnerability of younger populations in the current health crisis.
Originating in the Souss-Massa region last year, the outbreak has now spread nationwide. Tahraoui attributed the surge to declining vaccination rates following the Covid-19 pandemic, which left gaps in immunization and created fertile ground for new infections.
“The only way to eliminate measles is through vaccination,” the minister stressed, adding that the post-pandemic hesitancy toward vaccines has been a major factor in the resurgence of the disease.
In response, the Ministry of Health has launched an urgent national plan, prioritizing catch-up vaccination campaigns for children. These efforts are bolstered by enhanced surveillance systems designed to quickly detect and contain new cases.
Working in coordination with the ministries of education and interior, the initiative has so far screened six million children across the country. As of December 20, 2024, 38% of these children have received the necessary catch-up vaccinations.
The government’s efforts aim to curb the outbreak and rebuild trust in vaccination programs amid growing health challenges. However, the task remains daunting as health authorities race against time to prevent further loss of life.
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