An outbreak of the disease measles has killed at least 22 people in Sudan and infected approximately 1,730 people, many of them in Khartoum, according to health statistics.

Citing statistics from the Ministry of Health, World Health Organization and UNICEF, the UN reported yesterday that the total number of confirmed measles cases in Sudan reached 1,730 as of 12 April.

UN coordination agency OCHA in a report yesterday said that measles cases have been reported in 31 localities in 14 states of Sudan.

Fatality rates from the measles cases were highest in Darfur, according to the Ministry of Health, but the largest total number of cases was in Khartoum with 888 suspected cases and 85 confirmed cases. There were no deaths reported in Khartoum.

East Darfur reported 45 cases and four deaths (CFR: 8.9%), West Darfur 441 cases with five deaths (CFR: 1.1%), and North Darfur 161 cases with four deaths (CFR: 3.4%), according to the report.

World Health Organization stated that Sudan has already received 2.4 million out of the 9.6 million doses of measles vaccine ordered to support a government mass immunization campaign for 7.9 million children across the country.

Funding for the vaccines came from the Measles and Rubella Initiative (MRI) and UNICEF.