In May 2021, 105 volunteers were trained by the SRCS in community-based surveillance (CBS). Volunteers detect and report on signs and symptoms of potential epidemic diseases in their communities early to ensure health authorities are informed rapidly and thus promoting rapid response to avoid large scale outbreaks.
On the 27th of July, volunteers from the district of Ba'adweyn sent in seven reports of children who had fevers and rashes. Immediately the Nyss platform notified the CBS supervisor to verify with the volunteers on those reports. Within a few minutes after the reports were sent form the community, the CBS supervisor escalated the suspected cases to the Ministry of Health (MoH).
The MoH sent a team on the 28th of July to Ba'adweyn to take samples to test the children for measles. 12 days later, the sample results were shared, and three out of the seven cases tested positive for measles, all from the same village. Two further cases were reported afterwards from the same village, all cases having had close contact to the initial cases.
In response to the measles cases, SRCS initiated a vaccination campaign together with the MoH to prevent further spread of the outbreak. Since then, no further cases of measles have been reported from this village.
Photographs below showing the SRCS mobile health team vaccinating children in the village where measles cases were reported in July 2021.