Deadly measles outbreak puts Uganda’s youngest at risk

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Uganda is facing a resurgence of measles, a disease many had hoped was steadily being brought under control.

In a press statement issued at the Uganda Media Centre on April 30, the Director General of Health Services, Dr Charles Olaro, warned that rising infections are exposing persistent gaps in vaccination coverage, particularly among the country’s youngest and most vulnerable children.

“The Ministry of Health would like to inform the public that Uganda is currently experiencing an increase in cases of measles,” the statement said.

Measles, a highly contagious viral disease, spreads easily through coughs, sneezes, and close contact. It often begins like a common illness, fever, cough, runny nose, before progressing into a distinctive rash.

For children under five, especially those who are unvaccinated, measles can be deadly.

Uganda’s progress in controlling the disease has been real, but incomplete. National vaccination coverage rose from 79% in 2016 to 90% in 2024. That sounds impressive, but it falls short of the 95% threshold needed to stop outbreaks entirely.

And that remaining gap is now being felt. In 2025 alone, 66 districts reported confirmed measles outbreaks, with more than 10,000 cases and 60 deaths. Nearly a third of those deaths occurred in the Karamoja region, highlighting how geography, poverty, and access to care shape health outcomes.

The pattern has continued into 2026. Between January and April, 20 districts, from Bulambuli to Adjumani, confirmed new outbreaks. At least 12 deaths have already been recorded this year.

What’s striking is who is most affected. Investigations show that 75% of cases are among children under five. More revealing still, 64% of infected children had never received a measles-rubella vaccine at all, while another 33% had received only one dose, which is not enough to provide full protection.

That points to a deeper structural problem. Uganda’s vaccination system depends on two doses: the first at nine months, and the second at 18 months. While the first dose reaches about 92% of children, the second lags far behind at just 64%.

In simple terms, many children start the protection process, but never complete it, and the reasons are varied and interconnected.

“Low population immunity due to suboptimal vaccination coverage,” the statement noted, is a key driver.

However, the issue goes beyond access because caretakers often don’t know that a second dose is required. In remote areas, health services are harder to reach. In some communities, misinformation fuels vaccine hesitancy. Elsewhere, families delay seeking care until it is too late, and the consequences can be severe.

Beyond the immediate illness, measles can trigger complications such as pneumonia and diarrhoea. In some cases, it causes permanent neurological damage. For malnourished children, the risks are even higher.

In response, the government has activated a nationwide containment effort, which includes outbreak investigations, targeted vaccination campaigns, strengthened surveillance, and intensified community engagement. District-level responses are being supported with additional vaccines and resources, while ongoing health programmes are used to reach more children.

Yet officials acknowledge that these measures, while important, are not enough on their own.

“Despite these efforts, a more comprehensive response is required to reach all children with a lifesaving vaccine,” the statement said.

The deeper challenge is not just medical. It is social, logistical and behavioural.

Measles thrives where systems are uneven, where awareness is low, services are distant, and follow-through is weak.