The Botha-Bothe District Health Management Team (DHMT) has
confirmed five cases of measles in the district, with 41 additional linked
cases currently being traced.
The district is working to trace and contain the spread of the disease
through contact tracing and mobilisation in schools and villages ahead
of the upcoming measles and rubella vaccination and deworming
campaign.
Speaking to the Lesotho News Agency, Surveillance Officer Nurse
Maleshoane Kalake said the district was working hard to trace linked
cases while strengthening efforts to contain the outbreak through
mobilisation and contact tracing.
She said three of the confirmed cases were from Mopeli Primary
School, while one was from Matsatsaneng and another from Nqabeni.
Environmental Health Officer Mrs. Mapotlaki Potlaki explained during a
meeting today that the measles outbreak was identified last week while
the health team was conducting mobilisation for the deworming
campaign scheduled for October 12-23, 2026.
She said following the outbreak, the Ministry of Health decided that,
because measles had become an emergency requiring urgent

intervention, the team should place greater emphasis on administering
deworming tablets and vaccinating children against measles and
rubella.
“This is done to strengthen the immune system of all the children in the
district because of the rate at which the disease is spreading. We plead
with all parents and caregivers to be aware of any symptoms in their
children and make sure to report them to Village Health Workers and
nurses immediately,” she said.
“Let us also isolate any child who may appear to have symptoms of
measles while we report the case to avoid further spread to other
children because we may not know how strong our children are to fight
the disease, even if they have been vaccinated against it,” she said.
Mrs. Potlaki explained that parents should understand that vaccines do
not necessarily prevent children from becoming infected, but rather
strengthen the body’s ability to fight the disease and reduce its
severity.
She called on all parents and caregivers to cooperate with the health
department during the outbreak to ensure that all children are
protected.
She explained that, initially, during the deworming campaign, children
aged between six and 15 years were expected to receive Albendazole
tablets, while those aged between six and nine years were to receive
tetanus vaccination. Girls aged between nine and 14 years were also
scheduled to receive the HPV vaccine.
“Now, because of this outbreak, children between nine months and 15
years will be vaccinated against measles and rubella and will also be
administered Albendazole tablets and Vitamin A supplements, which
are meant to support eyesight,” she said.

Botha-Bothe District last recorded measles cases in 2024. In October
2025, the district joined the rest of the country in a nationwide
campaign against measles and rubella.