Measles breaks out in Benue IDPs camp

Several people have been infected with measles at the Internally Displaced Peoples’ camp located in Abagana, an outskirts of Makurdi in Benue state.

Our correspondent who visited the camp on Thursday reports that over 30 persons, mostly women and children have been struck with the disease.

One of them, a nine-month old pregnant woman, Sarah Tyohem, who was displaced from her home in Torkula village of Guma Local Government Area of the state after gunmen attacked the rural vicinity on New Year Day, said she was already responding to treatment.

Tyohem said measles broke out in the camp barely a week ago and had spread fast among those of them taking refuge there as she expressed gratitude to the medical team for quick responses.

Similarly, two siblings, Mimidoo Tyowua, 11 and her brother, Aondona, 7, who were displaced from Umemger village of Guma LGA, were seen lying on the sand as their parent administered drugs to caution their cough, redness of eyes and other pains they were going through.

A camp official who declined mention of his name alleged that at least four people have died of the ailment, especially, considering the unhygienic situation of the overcrowded camp housing more than 35,000 people.

Meanwhile, the Benue State Commissioner for Health and Human Services, Dr, Cecilia Ojabo, told newsmen that some of the sufferers have been referred to hospitals in Makurdi town as she insisted that her ministry would speak on facts of the matter later today.