Community Health Workers Identify Suspected Measles Case
Date: September 13, 2025
This morning, CoVACC’s Community Health Workers (CHWs) in Tombel District identified a suspected measles case during routine door-to-door outreach. The patient, a young child, presented with a diffuse rash of raised red lesions across the face and hands (see image), accompanied by fever and cough. Recognizing these hallmark signs, the CHW immediately activated CoVACC’s rapid referral protocol, notifying within minutes, the district surveillance team, and request confirmatory testing at the nearest health facility. Simultaneously, the CHW counselled the caregiver on home-based isolation measures and educated the household on the importance of measles immunization. This swift action ensures the child receives prompt clinical assessment while limiting potential spread in the community.
CoVACC is coordinating with the Tombel District Health Service to deploy a vaccination outreach team to surrounding hamlets, bolster surveillance for additional cases, and reinforce community awareness. As part of its Community-Directed Vaccination model, CoVACC will continue to empower CHWs to detect, report, and respond to suspected vaccine-preventable diseases—strengthening local capacity to safeguard child health in fragile settings.