Samoa uplifts its children in prayer as the latest report shows the most critically affected are less than a year old with 11 babies currently being treated in intensive care at the TTM Motootua National Hospital.
Press Release No.6 issued 22 November 2019 confirms 202 new cases recorded in the past 24 hours with a breakdown by age confirming that our children are the most affected.
“92% of current measles admissions are children, including 11 critically ill children in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).”
The Ministry has now confirmed 20 deaths with one fatality in the past 24 hours. Of the deaths, nearly half (9 of them) have been babies 11-months-old and younger.
A total of 1,644 measles cases have been reported to the Disease Surveillance Team, since the outbreak started, 202 of which were recorded in the last 24 hours.
Approximately 89% of measles cases are in Upolu, and notably concentrated in the Vaimauga West and Faleata West.
“There are currently 147 measles cases who are in-patients at all health facilities. Of this, 120 are at the Tupua Tamasese Meaole Hospital (TTMH), 1 at the Malietoa Tanumafili II Hospital (MTIIH), 2 at Sataua District Hospital, 1 at Foailalo District Hospital and 23 at the Leulumoega Rural District Hospital.
A breakdown of the statistics is as follows:
Age group Total measles cases * Total measles-related deaths
0-5 months: 145 cases, 5 deaths
6-11 months: 231 cases, 4 deaths
01-4 years: 517 cases, 10 deaths
05-9 years: 146 cases
10-14 years: 42 cases
15-19 years:156 cases
20-29 years: 233 cases
30-39 years: 97 cases, 1 death
40-49 years: 41 cases
50+ years: 7 cases
Cases with no registered age: 29
*Includes 122 laboratory confirmed measles cases; routine measles testing is no longer recommended.
The total number of measles admissions recorded for the outbreak to date is 628.
NEOC continues to be the focal point for all information with strong collaboration and advice from MOH on all other efforts for the duration of the Emergency Period.
Please direct all enquiries to the National Emergency Operation Center (NEOC) on telephone number 997, and 911 for Emergencies.
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