Two months after Ivorian citizens went to the polls to elect a president, they are still suffering the effects of a showdown between Laurent Gbagbo and Alassane Ouattara for the presidency of La Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast). But that is not the only fever the country is suffering from.
At a time when the political situation in Ivory Coast remains critical, the country is also under threat from yellow fever. This political instability has brought the national vaccination campaign against this serious disease to a halt.
Initiated by the WHO (World Health Organisation) and UNICEF (the United Nations organisation for the protection of children), this campaign was scheduled to take place in late November.
The vaccination campaign against yellow fever had already been postponed once before, to the week of 10-15 January.
For the campaign to be carried out successfully, local health officers and members of UNICEF need to go out together for a period of several days visiting whole communities.
But the prevailing political tension between the two political leaders makes this kind of organisation impossible.
The situation is all the more worrying as a month ago the WHO reported 11 deaths in the areas of Seguela, Katiola and Beoumi in the north of the country.
Although only 2 of these deaths were directly ascribed to yellow fever, 21 more suspected cases are still to be confirmed in these areas and in Mankono.
Yellow fever is an acute viral haemorrhagic disease transmitted by mosquitoes. It continues to kill around half its victims. The only effective means of prevention remains vaccination as, at present, there is no specific treatment available against the disease.
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