Measles outbreak prompts school closures in Nigeria

Nigeria’s Adamawa State, located in the country’s northeast, has implemented a week-long closure of all public and private schools to curb the spread of a measles outbreak.

The announcement came on Monday, following the tragic loss of 42 lives, primarily children, due to the highly contagious disease.

“This closure is necessary to mitigate the spread of measles and to allow the Primary Health Care Agency to vaccinate vulnerable children,” stated Aisha Umar, a permanent secretary in Adamawa’s Ministry of Education and Capital Development.

Schools are expected to reopen on May 13th, resuming the third stage of the current academic session.

The outbreak has been particularly concerning in two local government areas within the state.

The government issued a warning last week, highlighting the potential for the airborne disease to spread further.

This comes amidst ongoing challenges in the region, which has faced over a decade of terrorist attacks.

The current heat wave is also believed to be contributing to the spread of measles.

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