Ouagadougou: Community leaders called upon to support the measles-rubella vaccination campaign
The High Commissioner of Gourma Province, Silas Nacanabo, presided over an advocacy meeting in Fada N'Gourma to promote the measles-rubella vaccination campaign. He called on community leaders to actively participate in ensuring the success of this public health initiative, which will take place from August 3 to 9, 2026, throughout Gourma Province.
According to Burkina Information Agency, the advocacy meeting in support of the measles-rubella vaccination campaign brought together administrative, military and paramilitary authorities, religious authorities, community health workers as well as technical and financial partners, including a delegation from the World Health Organization (WHO).
The High Commissioner of the Gourma province, Silas Nacanabo, welcomed the commitment of the Ministry of Health and the WHO for the organization of this response campaign, initiated following the resurgence of measles cases in the country, particularly in the Goulmou region. He indicated that at the national level, 11,585 suspected cases of measles have been recorded, of which 51.6% come from the Goulmou region, hence the need for strong community mobilization to reverse this trend.
The province's top official urged the population to trust the health system and vaccination agents, while reassuring them that the vaccines administered to children are safe, effective and of high quality. 'We ask parents to welcome the vaccination teams, to make their children available and to avoid any reluctance so that this campaign, which is being held from August 3 to 9 throughout the Gourma province, takes place under the best conditions,' said Mr. Nacanabo.
The High Commissioner also urged community, religious and traditional leaders to relay awareness messages to the population in order to achieve optimal vaccination coverage. The chief medical officer of the Fada N'Gourma health district, Dr. Bienvenue Sandrine Sam, explained that measles and rubella are highly contagious viral diseases that are transmitted through respiratory droplets.
According to her, measles is characterized by a high fever, a skin rash, a runny nose and inflammation of the eyes, while rubella presents similar symptoms often accompanied by swollen lymph nodes. Dr. Sam indicated that this response campaign was decided after an outbreak of measles cases recorded at the beginning of 2026 in the Fada N'Gourma health district, which led health authorities to activate the national incident management system. She specified that the vaccination is free and concerns children aged 6 months to 10 years.
'Prevention remains the best way to fight measles. We invite all parents, guardians and childcare providers to welcome the vaccination teams and to have their children vaccinated in order to protect their children against this disease in the long term,' she said. Participants reaffirmed their commitment to intensifying awareness efforts in villages and sectors of the province to ensure strong public support for this measles-rubella vaccination campaign.