A child under five years of age is the latest victim of the measles epidemic, which has now claimed 78 lives across Samoa, the majority of whom are young children. 

The latest fatality occurred in the past 24 hours and was confirmed in a media statement by the National Emergency Operation Centre (N.E.O.C.) on Friday afternoon. 

According to the update from N.E.O.C. the child under five years old is amongst 5,463 measles cases being reported to the Disease Surveillance Team since the outbreak started. 

It also stated there were 39 new cases recorded in the past 24 hours, a drop from 53 reported on Thursday afternoon. 

From the latest release the number of measles cases who are in-patients at all health facilities reaches a total of 114. 

Of that number, 96 are at the Tupua Tamasese Meaole Hospital at Moto’otua and 15 of them are critically ill children in the Intensive Care and High Dependency Unit.  

Other patients who are currently receiving hospital treatment include two at the Poutasi District Hospital; one at Lalomanu District Hospital;  one at the Leulumoega Rural District Hospital; one at the Foailalo District Hospital  and one in the Sataua District Hospital.

According to the Government's figures the total number of measles patients admitted to hospital since an outbreak was declared in mid-October is 1,762, Of those 1,570 have been discharged.