Indonesia: Measles, chickenpox kill dozens of children

Church leaders in the remote Indonesian province of Papua are saying that the number of children that have died from measles, malnutrition and chickenpox is higher than the official number reported by the government.

It’s feared that the death toll from a measles outbreak in the remote Indonesian province of Papua is much higher than previously reported.

Official figures say 68 children have now died – but church leaders say the real number could be in the hundreds.

Children in the remote province are also suffering from malnutrition, and there has been an outbreak of chickenpox as well.

The government has launched an operation to help the afflicted children, but some are saying it’s too little, too late.

Al Jazeera’s Step Vaessen reports from Agats, Papua province.