Maharashtra Public Health Department minister Tanaji Sawant, directed authorities to form a task force to suggest methods and control the spread of measles in the state.
The state government will enlist the help of religious leaders, teachers, non-governmental organisations, and elected officials to raise awareness about measles vaccination.
Maharashtra is now reporting suspected cases as high as 10,234 with 657 confirmed cases. There have been 13 deaths in the state and they are limited to Mumbai and adjoining areas.
“Health machinery should be updated with the means to control the spread of measles in the state. A district wise task force will be formed to ensure that the outbreak of the disease is under control,” said Sawant after holding a meeting with officials from the state’s public health department via video conference.
Mumbai and its surrounding areas are facing a measles outbreak, with 13 deaths in the last month and a sharp increase in cases. Until Wednesday, the city had reported 233 confirmed cases, with over 200 of them occurring in the previous two months.
Sawant directed officials to conduct a survey of children aged six months to five years by forming teams of department officials. “These children should be given extra attention,” he said, adding that once the survey is completed, the task force will have a better idea of how the disease is spreading in different districts.
The authorities have also been asked to take steps to separate malnourished children from those suffering from the disease. There are also instructions to provide Vitamin A + MR 1 and MR 2 doses in areas with a high number of measles cases.
