Six children have reportedly died of measles in Antsirabe II. This is both sad and worrying. In 2026, this is a contagious disease that should no longer kill young children. Alas, it remains an implacable reality every year. In 2018-2019, eighty thousand cases of measles were detected with nine hundred deaths across the twenty-three regions. This is almost as many as Covid, which affected sixty thousand people with one thousand four hundred and ten deaths from 2020 to 2022.
A massive campaign aimed at children was launched in several regions in 2022. The vaccination rate reached 95% of the 4.4 million children aged 9 to 59 months. However, in 2020, an initial campaign failed miserably with a very low vaccination rate of 30%, followed by 42% in 2021.
Until proven otherwise, the vaccine is the only antidote to measles. The same applies to other contagious childhood diseases such as rubella, polio, chickenpox, impetigo, and roseola. These diseases were long considered eradicated through mandatory, free, and systematic vaccination campaigns in health centers and schools. But over the years, resources have dwindled, and it has become necessary to rely on aid from international organizations to vaccinate children. There were years when many children were not vaccinated. Those who died in Antsirabe were likely among them.
Beyond the failure of vaccination, other factors have compounded the situation. With poverty and ignorance, it is difficult to convince parents to vaccinate their children. Fatal prejudices and rumors have even surrounded vaccination campaigns against certain diseases like polio. Beliefs attributed side effects to vaccines that could jeopardize the mental and physical integrity of the child. Great efforts in awareness-raising were required to turn the tide and persuade parents. But the battle is far from won. The more poverty grows, the more education regresses and ignorance expands its reach.
As the years go by, the mission becomes more complicated. How can we convince a population where 80% live in extreme poverty according to the World Bank, where only two out of three children finish primary school, and the repetition rate reaches 23.5%, double the African average?
We realize the long road that remains ahead. The first thing to do is a vaccination campaign against ignorance. This imperatively requires education. But when we know that two million children are born outside of health centers and do not even have civil registration, we better understand the immensity of the task. It is a long march, like that of the people of Israel toward the Promised Land, 400 km away, traveled in 40 years. We must therefore arm ourselves with faith and courage.
Captured & Published at: 2026-08-07 05:39:20 (Madagascar Local Time EAT)
Original Source: https://www.lexpress.mg/2026/08/vaccin-contre-lignorance.html