More than 30 children have died in the Balaghat district of Madhya Pradesh since June, continuing through August. Most of these children belonged to tribal-dominated villages in the district, especially the Baiga tribe.
According to the reports, the families of the deceased said that the kids developed symptoms like rashes, fever, vomiting and diarrhea before they succumbed to death.
Once the outbreak was identified, an outbreak-response immunisation campaign was launched. Children between the ages of 1-10 years were given Measles Rubella (MR) Vaccination regardless of their vaccination status. Around 14,637 children were already vaccinated by early September.
As the death toll began to rise, independent journalists travelled to Balaghat in search of answers for the deaths of so many children. Lokbhadra Singh, Monika Singh, Bindu Gurjar and Saurabh Bhati visited the local hospitals and spoke to families in the affected villages.
The journalists alleged that they faced pressure and surveillance from the government while they were reporting in the village.
Lokbhadra Singh and the other journalists were also asked to meet the officials before they left Balaghat. They didn’t meet anyone before leaving the area on September 3.
Read my article at: Balaghat Child Deaths: Baiga Children Health Crisis Explained
MBH/PS