Malawi launches measles campaign

Impoverished Malawi, where one out of every four children dies before their fifth birthday, launched a campaign on Tuesday to immunise two million children against measles, health officials said.

"We want to kick out measles because it is a dangerous disease which leads to complications such as blindness and death," Storn Kabuluzi, director of preventive health services, said.

The three-day campaign to be conducted in every region of Malawi will target up to two million children aged between six months and five years, he said.

The children will also receive Vitamin A supplements and be de-wormed to prevent anaemia.

Malawi's programme is part of a global effort by the World Health Organisation to wipe out the disease. WHO says vaccination schemes across Africa have driven down measles deaths on the continent from 396 000 in 2000 to just 36 000 in 2006.