The Ministry of Health has announced that the death toll from measles in Zimbabwe has reached 685

Mothers walk past a billboard promoting polio and measles prevention at Hararge Clinic June 21, 2012. Reuters/Philemon Bulawayo/File Photo

HARARE, Sept 3 (Reuters) – Zimbabwe’s measles outbreak has so far killed 685 people, the health ministry said on Saturday, more than four times the number of cases reported two weeks ago as the country’s nationwide vaccination program continues.

“Zimbabwe has had 6,034 confirmed cases, including 4,266 and 685 deaths,” the ministry said in a statement on Twitter, reporting 191 new cases and 37 deaths on September 1.

Children between the ages of six months and 15 years were being infected, particularly from religious sects that do not believe in vaccinations, the country’s information minister, Monica Mutsvangwa, said last month. Read more

As the government claims, the apostolic sects do not believe in vaccination and rely on prayer. The leaders of the Apostolic Church did not respond to the government’s plea that their faith was responsible for the spread of measles.

Mutwanga said the government is reaching out to faith leaders for support and understanding.

Calls to John Masowe Apostolic Church Bishop Andbi Makururu on Saturday were not immediately answered.

Reporting by Nyasha Chingono; Writing by Promit Mukherjee; Editing by Mac Harrison

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