Latest W.H.O research shows one in five children in Africa is not being given life-saving vaccines.This failure to vaccinate is claiming victims even in the continent’s biggest cities.
Since December, a so-called mystery disease has been killing children in Lagos. Medics revealed this week, the disease is actually measles. One of the community affected is Otodo Gbame. CCTV’s Deji Badmus has more.
Otodo Gbame community, tucked right inside the heart of the Lekki area of Lagos is a fishing community of around ten thousand people.
Virtually all the houses in the area are stilts made from bamboo. It’s a poor community in every respect with little or no government presence.
There is no safe drinking water and no public healthcare facility. Clementine Afonyon’s boy Joel was among those who died.
She says she woke up one morning to find strange rashes all over him. She gave him herbs and took him to a clinic in another community.
But he died three days later.
Authorities sent in health workers into the community to check the spread the disease. Officials say this area of the city missed out on child vaccination programmes.
The head of the community says the deaths could have been avoided if there was a public health facility in the community.
30 other children are being treated at a medical facility elsewhere in Lagos.
Residents say they hope the tragedy will spur an improvement in services here.
CCTV’s Deji Badmus has more.
