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UN supporting Samoa’s battle against deadly measles outbreak

UN supporting Samoa’s battle against deadly measles outbreak

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UN agencies are assisting authorities in Samoa as they battle a measles outbreak which has killed more than 60 people, mainly babies.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has flown in emergency medical teams from across the globe who are working alongside local colleagues in a mass inoculation campaign using vaccines supplied by the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

The UN also is supporting a national awareness campaign aimed at rebuilding trust following the deaths last year of two babies during routine vaccinations.

Simona Marinescu, the UN Resident Coordinator in Samoa, discusses these developments and plans for long-term recovery with Julia Dean from the UN Information Centre in Canberra.

Audio Credit
Julia Dean/UNIC Canberra
Audio
6'28"
Photo Credit
© UNICEF/Allan Stephen