Measles, increase in cases in Morocco

There has been a surge in reported measles cases in northern Morocco over the past three months. Health authorities working in the regions recorded 115 cases in October, 113 in November, and 104 in December. During the course of the year, 448 cases were deemed severe enough to necessitate medical intervention. The main area of concern is the region of Tanger-Tétouan-Al Hoceïma, where the number of cases is up to nine. Five residents of the province of Tanger province who contracted the virus have died at the Mohammed VI University Hospital in the same province. The outbreak spread beyond the major cities, with the province of Chefchaouen reporting hundreds of infections in young children. The city also reported three additional deaths, with nearby Tétouan reporting a single death, bringing the total number of deaths to 9. The provinces of Larache, Ouezzane, and M’diq-Fnideq reported several measles cases, but no figures were available. In light of this, health officials initiated a series of awareness campaigns to encourage families to vaccinate their children and thus protect them from the disease.