(Adnkronos) – A double epidemic of measles and type C meningitis is affecting eastern Chad, where Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) teams, in coordination with the Ministry of Health, operate in a context already marked by the growing influx of refugees fleeing the war in Sudan. Since January 2026, more than 1,500 patients have been admitted to MSF isolation wards. In Adré, near the Sudanese border, the situation has drastically worsened in a few weeks. Meningitis cases are rapidly increasing: 18 cases in January, 109 in March, and 101 in the first two weeks of April. Between March and April, out of 212 children admitted to MSF facilities in Adré with meningitis, 25 died, with a mortality rate of almost 12%. Measles cases follow the same trend: 16 cases in January, 371 in March, and already 161 in the first two weeks of April alone.
“Every day we see children arriving with severe measles, often complicated by pneumonia, requiring urgent hospitalization – says Isabelle Kavira, MSF medical activities manager in Adré – At the same time, meningitis beds are almost 100% occupied, increasing pressure on our capacity and compromising care for other pathologies.” “Most children affected by meningitis present severe forms – adds Léa Ledru, MSF coordinator in Adré – Our teams are forced to constantly move from one isolation ward to another.”
“I am in the hospital, in the isolation tent, because my two children fell ill with measles a few days apart – says Makka Teguen in André hospital – at first I thought it was just a simple fever. But the fever didn’t go down. Then they were directed to the hospital and we came here. Now they are improving, but this is the worst thing that has ever happened to me.”
To cope with the growing number of patients, MSF has tripled its pediatric isolation capacity in Adré, increasing measles beds from 5 to 15 and setting up a tent with 30 beds for meningitis patients. In three weeks, the Ministry of Health, with MSF’s support, carried out emergency vaccinations, reaching over 95,500 children against measles and 337,800 people against meningitis in the most affected areas. From April 7 to 13, another 62,500 people were vaccinated against meningitis in the Aboutengué camp, a remote desert location hosting 50,000 people, including Sudanese refugees and the local population. Since April 15, a vaccination campaign has been underway in Metche, targeting camp refugees and surrounding communities. To date, more than 16,600 people have been vaccinated against meningitis and over 9,400 against measles.
However, these campaigns face persistent challenges: cold chain disruptions and gaps in routine vaccination leave entire populations exposed to risk. It is fundamental, MSF notes, to strengthen routine vaccination at the primary healthcare level, particularly through the deployment of mobile teams from health centers to surrounding areas. Without these measures, emergency response campaigns alone will not be sufficient.
In Sila province, south of Adré, the measles epidemic declared in early January rapidly spread from a gold mining site to the surrounding community, increasingly affecting children under 15. The Ministry of Health, with MSF’s support, vaccinated more than 113,000 children aged between 9 months and 14 years in just 15 days, between late March and early April. The crisis is further exacerbated by the continuous arrival of refugee families from Sudan, where measles and meningitis outbreaks are ongoing. In the camps, overcrowding, limited access to water and healthcare, and malnutrition facilitate rapid transmission and increase the risk of severe complications, particularly among children under 5. “I fled the war in El Fasher with my family: during the journey we had neither water nor food, and the youngest of my children died along the way from dehydration – says Sabir Ahmat Issakh, a Sudanese refugee in André camp – Now my other son is hospitalized. He was sick, had abdominal pain and high fever. We were told he has measles, now he is better, but he has not fully recovered yet.” In April 2026, in Ouaddaï, Sila, Wadi Fira, and East Ennedi, the number of Sudanese refugees was recorded at 926,000, further increasing the burden on already fragile health services.
